Serial Trial Intervention for Pain and Challenging Behaviour in Advanced Dementia Patients (STA OP!)

Abstract

An estimated 45-80% of nursing home residents are in pain (physical discomfort) and up to 80% display challenging behaviour. Christine Kovach developed the serial trial intervention (STI) in the USA, and has shown how this protocol leads to lower discomfort and fewer behavioural symptoms in moderate to severe dementia patients. This study discusses the implementation of a Dutch version of the STI-protocol (STA OP!), with its results for behavioural symptoms, pain, depression, and quality of life. The study protocol, and considerations relating to the transfer from the American design to the Dutch design, are discussed.

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Reference

Pieper, MJ. Achterberg, WP. [and] Francke, AL. [et al] (2011). The implementation of the serial trial intervention for pain and challenging behaviour in advanced dementia patients (STA OP!): a clustered randomized controlled trial. BMC Geriatrics, 2011, Vol.11(12), pp.1-11. (Click here to view the PubMed abstract).