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Resident‐to‐Resident Aggression in Long‐Term Care Facilities: Insights from Focus Groups of Nursing Home Residents and Staff
Author(s) -
Rosen Tony,
Lachs Mark S.,
Bharucha Ashok J.,
Stevens Scott M.,
Teresi Jeanne A.,
Nebres Flor,
Pillemer Karl
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.01808.x
Subject(s) - medicine , focus group , screaming , long term care , aggression , nursing homes , qualitative research , nursing , occupational safety and health , human factors and ergonomics , suicide prevention , activities of daily living , injury prevention , poison control , gerontology , family medicine , psychiatry , medical emergency , social science , linguistics , philosophy , pathology , marketing , sociology , business
OBJECTIVES: To more fully characterize the spectrum of resident‐to‐resident aggression (RRA). DESIGN: A focus group study of nursing home staff members and residents who could reliably self‐report. SETTING: A large, urban, long‐term care facility. PARTICIPANTS: Seven residents and 96 staff members from multiple clinical and nonclinical occupational groups. MEASUREMENTS: Sixteen focus groups were conducted. Content was analyzed using nVivo 7 software for qualitative data. RESULTS: Thirty‐five different types of physical, verbal, and sexual RRA were described, with screaming or yelling being the most common. Calling out and making noise were the most frequent of 29 antecedents identified as instigating episodes of RRA. RRA was most frequent in dining and residents' rooms, and in the afternoon, although it occurred regularly throughout the facility at all times. Although no proven strategies exist to manage RRA, staff described 25 self‐initiated techniques to address the problem. CONCLUSION: RRA is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nursing home settings, with important consequences for affected individuals and facilities. Further epidemiological research is necessary to more fully describe the phenomenon and identify risk factors and preventative strategies.