Calming Music and Hand Massage With Agitated Elderly
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Agitated behavior is a widespread problem that adversely affects the health of nursing home residents and increases the cost of their care. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether modifying environmental stimuli by the use of calming music and hand massage affects agitated behavior in persons with dementia. METHOD: A four group, repeated measures experimental design was used to test the effect of a 10-minute exposure to either calming music, hand massage, or calming music and hand massage simultaneously, or no intervention (control) on the frequency and type of agitated behaviors in nursing home residents with dementia (N = 68). A modified version of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory was used to record agitated behaviors. RESULTS: Each of the experimental interventions reduced agitation more than no intervention. The benefit was sustained and increased up to one hour following the intervention (F = 6.47, p<.01). The increase in benefit over time was similar for each intervention group. When types of agitated behaviors were examined separately, none of the interventions significantly reduced physically aggressive behaviors (F = 1.93, p=.09), while physically nonaggressive behaviors decreased during each of the interventions (F = 3.78, p< 01). No additive benefit resulted from simultaneous exposure to calming music and hand massage. At one hour following any intervention, verbally agitated behavior decreased more than no intervention. CONCLUSION: Calming music and hand massage alter the immediate environment of agitated nursing home residents to a calm structured surrounding, offsetting disturbing stimuli, but no additive benefit was found by combining interventions simultaneously.
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Studies comparing touch found a significant improvement in symptomatic and clinically significant agitation compared with usual care.
“Studies comparing touch found a significant improvement in symptomatic and clinically significant agitation compared with usual care. 22,34”
From Non-pharmacological interventions for agitation in dementia: systematic review of randomised controlled trials (2014) · cites this paper as [34]
Evidence suggests that massage and touch may reduce some BPSD, such as pacing, wandering and resisting care.
“Evidence suggests that massage and touch may relax older people with dementia, reduce some BPSD, such as pacing, wandering and resisting care, improve appetite, sleep and communication problems, and, to some extent, counteract cognitive decline (244–250).”
From The Multidisciplinary Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. A Narrative Review of Non-Pharmacological Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [245]
Evidence suggests that massage and touch may improve appetite, sleep and communication problems.
“Evidence suggests that massage and touch may relax older people with dementia, reduce some BPSD, such as pacing, wandering and resisting care, improve appetite, sleep and communication problems, and, to some extent, counteract cognitive decline (244–250).”
From The Multidisciplinary Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. A Narrative Review of Non-Pharmacological Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [245]
Evidence suggests that massage and touch may relax older people with dementia.
“Evidence suggests that massage and touch may relax older people with dementia, reduce some BPSD, such as pacing, wandering and resisting care, improve appetite, sleep and communication problems, and, to some extent, counteract cognitive decline (244–250).”
From The Multidisciplinary Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. A Narrative Review of Non-Pharmacological Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [245]
Evidence suggests that massage and touch may to some extent counteract cognitive decline.
“Evidence suggests that massage and touch may relax older people with dementia, reduce some BPSD, such as pacing, wandering and resisting care, improve appetite, sleep and communication problems, and, to some extent, counteract cognitive decline (244–250).”
From The Multidisciplinary Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. A Narrative Review of Non-Pharmacological Treatment (2018) · cites this paper as [245]
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- Authors
- Remington, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Massachusetts Lowell (US)
- Corresponding author
- Remington, Ruth
- ORCID
- Remington, Ruth
- Venue
- Nursing Research
- Published
- 2002-09
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 317-323
- ISSN
- 0029-6562 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2003880934
- Cited by
- 189
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 12.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- Locations
- Nursing Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst (University of Massachusetts Amherst) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (1f31nr007271-01a1)
- National Institute of Nursing Research (F31 NR07271-01A1)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Music Therapy and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Keywords
- agitation, dementia, calming music, hand massage, nursing home residents, older adults, environmental stimuli, verbal agitation, physical aggression, Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, non-pharmacological treatment
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Analysis of Variance, Female, Geriatrics, Humans, Male, Massage, Middle Aged, Music Therapy, Psychomotor Agitation, Treatment Outcome
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