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The CPD article about caring for older people experiencing agitation is relevant to my practice. I work on an acute oncology assessment ward, which provides rapid assessment and care for acutely unwell patients.

Older people diagnosed with dementia can have complex needs, especially when they exhibit agitated behaviour. Patients with agitated behaviour challenge the delivery of health care. Often the behaviour is a symptom of unmet needs in this population (Dewing 2010). It is important for nurses to understand the underlying causes and apply evidence-based interventions in their nursing practice to promote health, safety and the highest quality of life possible. This article defines and classifies agitated behaviours, discusses implications for their management and then presents evidence-based interventions nurses can use. The interventions are categorised according to each of the five senses.

Agitation is a symptom rather than a condition and thus an indicator of, for example, unmet care needs Sor biopsychosocial problems. Non-pharmacological interventions are the first course of action for older people with dementia who are agitated. This article helps nurses to broaden their understanding of agitation, its causes, including trigger factors in the environment and those that nurses may cause. Finally, it summarises evidence on non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions so that this evidence can be incorporated into person-centred care.

This article suggests that screening and assessing for dementia can be incorporated into nurses' roles, as can a range of strategies to address some of the common challenges that nurses face when working with older people with cognitive impairment in acute settings.

Despite the prevalence of disturbed behaviour in people with dementia, little research has gone into understanding such behaviour and managing it effectively. This article, the penultimate in the series, examines the causes and management of restlessness and agitation in people with dementia, and proposes a holistic approach.