Factors Related to Rejection of Care and Behaviors Directed towards Others: A Longitudinal Study in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia

AIMS The aim of this study was to analyze factors related to rejection of care and behaviors directed towards others in nursing home residents with dementia. METHODS The relationship of lack of understanding, depression, psychosis and pain with rejection of care and behaviors directed towards others was explored using four assessments from the Minimum Data Set (MDS) within a period of 15 months on 1,101 residents with dementia in Dutch nursing homes. Presence of depressive symptoms was ascertained using a validated MDS scale, and presence of lack of understanding, rejection of care, psychosis and pain through the individual MDS items. A structural equation modeling approach and latent growth models were used to investigate the longitudinal relationship between changes in rejection of care and physical or verbal behaviors directed towards others, and changes in lack of understanding, pain, depression and psychotic symptoms. RESULTS Changes in lack of understanding predicted changes in rejection of care, and there was also a relationship between changes in depression and rejection of care. Changes of behaviors directed towards others were related to changes in lack of understanding and depression. Pain and behaviors directed towards others were unrelated, and psychosis was rather stable throughout. A mediation model suggested that the relationship of lack of understanding with behaviors directed towards others was mediated by rejection of care. CONCLUSION These results indicate that lack of understanding and depression are important factors in development of rejection of care and behaviors directed towards others. The relationship between lack of understanding and behaviors directed towards others is mediated by rejection of care. Improvement in communication between residents and caregivers, and perhaps also effective treatment of depression may prevent or ameliorate these behaviors directed towards others.