“It’s Opened My Eyes to a Whole New World”: Positive Behaviour Support Training for Staff and Family Members Supporting Residents With Dementia in Aged Care Settings

Objectives: This study examined the acceptability and usefulness of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) training in enhancing the capabilities of support staff and family members providing behaviour support to residents with dementia in residential aged care (RAC). 

Methods: A mixed-methods pilot study was conducted across 3 RAC organisations, involving pre- and post-training questionnaire assessments for clinical leaders (n = 8), support staff (n = 37) and family members (n = 18). 

Results: Findings indicated increased confidence among support staff and family members in providing behaviour support, with 96% indicating it would support their practices across settings. Key training benefits included identifying and addressing underlying causes of challenging behaviours. A majority (89%) expressed the need for further behaviour support training. 

Conclusion: Recommendations focus on developing systems to enable effective and collaborative behaviour support practices. Further research is needed to examine application of PBS principles and planning for residents living with dementia.