Preventing Aggression in Veterans With Dementia (PAVeD)

In Enhanced Usual Care, the caregiver will receive information in the mail about memory problems and pain; and the caregiver will receive eight short telephone calls to check on how the person with dementia is doing.

Primary Care providers will be notified through electronic medical records about any significant behavioral problems or pain.

The CMAI lists 13 behaviors (2 verbal and 11 nonverbal) and for each behavior the participant indicates how frequently the behavior occurs (1-5, higher values = greater frequency) and how disruptive the behavior is (1-5, higher values = greater disruptiveness). For any given behavior, if a participant scored a 2 or higher on BOTH frequency (i.e., it occurred "less than once a week" or more often) and disruptiveness (i.e., it was "a little" disruptive or more), he/she was considered aggressive.

Overall aggression takes into account all 13 behaviors, whereas verbal aggression only pertains to two behaviors and non-verbal aggression pertains to 11 behaviors.

One is considered verbally aggressive if he/she responds with a 2 or higher on both frequency and disruptiveness for either of the two verbal behaviors.

One is considered non-verbally aggressive if he/she responds with a 2 or higher on both frequency and disruptiveness for any of the 11 non-verbal behaviors.

This is one item on the Philadelphia Pain Intensity Scale. One item with scores from 0 to 5, where 0 = no pain, 1 = little pain, 2 = moderate pain, 3 = quite bad pain, 4 = very bad pain, 5 = the pain is almost unbearable.

Higher scores = greater pain severity

This is one item on the Philadelphia Pain Intensity Scale. One item on a 0-5 scale, where 0 = no pain, 1 = little pain, 2= moderate pain, 3 = quite bad pain, 4 = very bad pain, 5 = the pain is almost unbearable.

Higher scores = greater pain severity.

This is one item on the Philadelphia Pain Intensity Scale. One item on a 0-5 scale, where 0 = no pain, 1 = little pain, 2= moderate pain, 3 = quite bad pain, 4 = very bad pain, 5 = the pain is almost unbearable.

Higher scores = greater pain severity.

This is one item on the Philadelphia Pain Intensity Scale. One item on a 0-5 scale, where 0 = no pain, 1 = little pain, 2= moderate pain, 3 = quite bad pain, 4 = very bad pain, 5 = the pain is almost unbearable.

Higher scores = greater pain severity.

Geriatric Depression Scale. 30 item scale with response options of yes = 1 and no = 0 to each item.

Total GDS scores range from 0 to 30, with greater scores indicating greater depression.

The frequency of engagement in pleasant events, according to the Pleasant Events Schedule - Alzheimer's Disease.

For each of 20 events, participants answered the frequency (0 = not at all, 1 = 1-6 times, 2 = 7+ times) they engaged in the event and whether they enjoyed the event (1 = yes, 0 = no).

For each item, frequency x enjoyment were multiplied. Then scores for each of the 20 items were added together.

The possible range of scores on the PES frequency of engagement in pleasant events is from 0 - 40, with higher scores indicating more frequent engagement in pleasant events.

Caregiver-reported burden, according to the Burden Inventory. 22 items are responded to on a 0-4 scale where 0 = never, 1 = rarely, 2 = sometimes, 3 = quite frequently, and 4 = nearly always.

Scores are then summed so that the total range is from 0 to 88. Higher scores indicate greater caregiver burden.

Caregiver-Perceived Total Mutuality (with patient), based on the Mutuality Scale.

Fifteen items about the caregivers' relationship with the patient with dementia were responded to on a 0-4 scale, where 0 = not at all, 1 = a little, 2 = some, 3 = quite a bit, and 4 = a great deal.

responses to all 15 items were averaged, so total scores range from 0-4, with higher values indicating greater mutuality.