assisted living

Purpose of the Study: Assisted living (AL) residents with dementia require assistance with activities of daily living, encounter limited opportunities to engage in physical activity, and often exhibit challenging behavioral symptoms. The Function Focused Care Intervention for the Cognitively Impaired (FFC-CI) teaches and motivates direct care workers (DCWs) to engage residents with dementia in activities that optimize function and activity while minimizing behavioral symptoms.

Psychotropic medications (antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, sedative hypnotics) are commonly prescribed for long term care residents with dementia, and have been associated with negative outcome, such as falls, gait impairment, sedation and cognitive decline. The purpose of this study was to describe differences in assisted living versus nursing home residents with moderate to severe cognitive impairment with regard to the use of psychotropic medications.