About this course
Patient care often goes beyond general medical support. When a patient becomes emotionally upset, displaying aggressive physical behavior, it is not only disruptive but can be harmful to healthcare workers, family members, and other patients and interfere with necessary medical care. Aggressive physical behavior occurs in 30% to 50% of those people who suffer from dementia, and aggressive behaviors might include punching, kicking, biting, grabbing, pushing, throwing objects, or spitting. Healthcare providers working in retirement homes, eldercare facilities, and home care agencies often have to care for patients that exhibit aggressive behaviors. Understanding the causes behind these behaviors, how to identify triggers that cause the behaviors, and knowing how to interact effectively with an aggressive patient will increase safety for all around and improve overall care.
