BPSD guide – New phone app for dementia

BPSD Guide is a new phone app developed by the University of New South Wales to provide guidance for 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 behavioural and psychological symptoms.The app provides summary information relevant to the most commonly presenting behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD):

• A description of the symptom and how it presents in dementia
• Potential causes and/or contributing factors
• Differential diagnosis
• Assessment tools
• Conclusions based on a review of available literature
• Precautions
• Suggested psychosocial, environmental, biological and pharmacological interventions with outcomes of the available evidence
• Brief clinical scenario

The content of the app is based on the document Behaviour Management - A Guide to Good Practice: Managing Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (2012). This document provides a comprehensive evidence and practice-based overview of BPSD management principles with practical strategies and interventions.Emerging technologies have the potential to make evidence based recommendations more accessible for use in clinical practice, including care for persons with dementia and BPSD. With the progressive integration of technologies such as apps into dementia care, research is needed as to their effectiveness for the end user and the potential impact on those with dementia.