Anxiety and Agitation or Discomfort and a Plea for Help?
Too often in the care industry, you hear about challenging situations with residents being anxious and agitated. What if we shifted the perspective? What if those same challenging situations were viewed as residents expressing discomfort or a need? How would staff respond then? How would that change or shift in perspective affect residents, staff, and your care community as a whole?
When a person is uncomfortable, it can look like restlessness, fidgeting, impatience, worry, fear, or distress. Your personality style, past experiences, self-awareness, and brain health will determine how you manage and express that discomfort. Empower your staff to identify and meet needs more effectively, and you will realize there is suddenly less anxiety and agitation.
How do the responses of others impact your level of anxiety or agitation in uncomfortable situations? What is the value of diffusing another person’s discomfort? How can you help staff proactively address their resident’s discomfort?
In a care setting, a staff person who says, Mary, SIT DOWN! repeatedly, or That’s not your room! may actually be responsible for increasing the level of discomfort that person is experiencing.
Now that’s a radical suggestion—that staff may be the ones creating and escalating the level of agitation and anxiety among their residents. The reality is that your staff should have more capacity for recognizing shifts in a resident’s behavior and minimizing their discomfort.
Here are three suggestions that will help staff identify and manage moments of discomfort for their residents.
Know the resident’s baseline, preferences, and dislikes
What is the usual for that resident? Is there a certain time of day when things change? Are there people, events, or activities that trigger discomfort? Perhaps a particular staff person, staff shift change, care task, or food item?
Intervene early
What happens when even slight shifts in behavior are recognized? How quickly do staff respond (not react) and manage their own discomfort? What assumptions do they bring to the situation? What do they communicate to the resident and to other staff who can offer support? How flexible can they be in the situation? What techniques are used? Being proactive can shift the situation from a potential challenge to a routine interaction where needs are identified and met.
Ask questions about the 5 P’s
What are the Places, People, Programming, Props, and Possibilities?
Place – Is the resident in the appropriate environment?
People – Are they interacting with the right match of staff and fellow residents?
Programming – Are the tasks and activities well-suited to their interests and abilities?
Props – Do the items they are using make sense to them and give them information about the task?
Possibilities – How can you help staff explore shifts or new options that might result in a more comfortable outcome?
Recognizing that staff are often the ones who create and escalate agitation and anxiety among their residents is a great first step. Help staff think about ways they can identify shifts in the comfort of their residents and proactively meet those needs.
Labeling residents as anxious and agitated puts the blame on the resident for something not in their control. Supporting residents by meeting their needs and helping them to be comfortable in their environment puts the responsibility on staff, where it belongs.
Written By: By Debi Tyler Newsom, OTR/L, PAC Client Relations Director, Teepa Snow Positive Approach to Care
Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay