This document provides guidance for DSA clinicians in their role of assisting residential aged care facility staff, community care staff and family members caring for persons living with dementia, who present BPSD.

This guide supports DSA clinicians in their role of assisting residential aged care facility staff, community care staff and family members caring for persons living with dementia, who present with behaviours and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). A comprehensive evidence and practice-based overview of BPSD management principles is provided with practical strategies and interventions.

The guide comprises a set of modules providing behaviour specific information, including:

• A description of the behaviour and how it presents in dementia
• Causes
• Differential diagnosis
• Measuring the behaviour
• Prevalence
• Effects on the person with dementia and others living with them or involved in providing care
• Results from the literature search
• Management strategies and the quality of the supporting evidence available for specific interventions for the BPSD, such as psychosocial, environmental and biological interventions
• Limitations of the evidence presented
• Conclusions