Abstract
This study was to examine the characteristics of aggressive behaviour of dementia patients. It was based on the observation of the patients in a facility for dementia patients. Observation continued for two days from 9a.m. to 5p.m .. aggressive behavior was recorded using the instrument of Ryden. The result of this study is as follows. 1. appearance rate of aggressive behaviour During two days $74\%$ of the patients did aggressive behaviour(first day-$41.8\%$. second day-$62.8\%$). The average aggressive behaviour per person was 1.65. 2. types of aggressive behaviour Aggressive behaviour was the most frequent in verbal domain(157 case; $52.5\%$). Physical domain was the second$(136case;\;45.5\%)$, and sexual domain was the last$(6 case;\;2.0\%)$. More concretely, abusive/vulgar language$(74case;\;24.7\%)$ was more than anything else. Aggressive language$(65case;\;21.7\%)$, pushing$(39case;\;13.0\%)$, intimidating posture$(21case;\;7.0\%)$. slapping $(18case;\; 6.0\%)$ followed it. 3. correlation to other factors such as sex. age etc. The average aggressive behaviour of female(2.07) was higher than that of male(1.23) (p=.05). Age also had meaningful correlation to the frequency of aggressive behaviour(p=.04). All the other factors-the period of living in facility, the seriousness of dementia. movements in daily life. CAPE, emotional state. the extent of trouble in cognition- have nothing to do with the frequency of aggressive behaviour. 4. the time, place and the target of aggressive behavior Aggressive behaviour appeared more frequently in the afternoon $(138case;\;46.4\%)$ than in the morning or at lunch time. The patient's room ranked the first in the list of places where aggressive behaviour took place $(162case;\; 54.5\%)$. Nursing personnel topped in the target of aggressive behaviour$(119case;\; 39.8\%)$. 5. the preceding causes of the aggressive behavior the most frequent preceding causes of the behavior was the stimulus of another residents $(133case, 44.4\%)$ and that of nsg personnel was few relatively$(65 cases,\; 21.7\%)$. 6. Nursing personnel used verbal reaction most frequently$(40 cases,\; 51\%)$ and in a behavioral reaction they used physical restraint $(12 cases,\; 17.1\%)$ most frequently. In the reactions of nsg personnel. the rate of undesired reaction was high$(41cases,\; 44.28\%)$. and in that of the attacked residents, the usual reaction was most frequent $(80cases,\; 65.0\%)$. In the future it is needed to investigate the characteristics of aggressive behavior of dementia patients, and based on this the method of intervention must be developed. Today the number of dementia patient increases so nurses must strive to encounter aggressive behavior more desirably.