A comparison between the care of vocally disruptive patients and that of other residents at psychogeriatric wards.

This study aimed at examining the relationship between the occurrence of vocally disruptive behaviour and the care of demented patients. The results presented here focus on the contents of the patient's daily life provided by the staff. In all the psychogeriatric wards within one county council, having patients identified as vocally disruptive, 37 patients exhibiting this behaviour and 37 controls were studied. Semistructured continuous observations for 15 hours per patient (7.00 a.m.-10.00 p.m.) were made. Data from a previous report revealed that the vocally disruptive patients were more physically dependent on the staff as compared to controls. However, the physical care provided did not differ significantly. The patients spent 21% of the observed time in caring activities, mainly physical care, 18% of the time they were sleeping or dozing, and 71% of the observed time they were left to themselves and reduced to inactivity and solitude. Regression analysis disclosed that only the amount of activating care in a group was significantly related to the vocally disruptive behaviour. Hence the data support the idea that understimulation is present in the demented patient's life but it can hardly be the cause of the behaviour. However, the environment might contribute to the occurrence and maintenance of vocally disruptive behaviour.