A Team Effort for Treating Depression in Dementia

Abstract

Managing depression or other challenging behaviors in people with dementia requires a team effort for optimal treatment outcomes. Developing a team approach in a dementia unit requires planning and coordination. Teamwork concepts and practical guidelines are described including: (a) Why a team approach is necessary, (b) Deciding who should be involved in a team effort, (c) When to involve the team in developing behavior management programs, (d) Using formal versus informal mechanisms to coordinate teamwork, (e) Focusing team based behavior management planning by using basic categories of intervention strategies, and (f) Different team dynamics to consider when developing or troubleshooting team functioning.

Key Words:

• Team
• depression
• dementia
• behavior management