Agitation Among Elderly Persons at Adult Day-Care Centers: The Experiences of Relatives and Staff Members

Two hundred participants (mean age = 80 years) from five senior day-care centers were included in a study of agitation. Staff members at the centers and participants’ relatives rated the frequency with which participants displayed agitated behaviors, via an expanded version of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory. The most frequent behaviors noted were general restlessness, repetitious sentences, verbal interruptions, and pacing. A three-factor solution for staff members ratings included (a) physically nonaggressive behaviors, including general restlessness and pacing; (b) verbally agitated behaviors, including complaining and constant requests for attention; and (c) aggressive verbal behaviors, including cursing and temper outbursts. A three-factor solution for relatives’ ratings included (a) physically nonaggressive behaviors, including general restlessness and pacing; (b) verbally agitated behaviors, including constant requests for attention and related interruptions; and (c) aggressive behaviors, including cursing, grabbing, kicking, and pushing. The syndromes of both models showed similarity to the factors found in a nursing home population, although differences were also apparent.