Mapping Distressing Behaviors in Dementia to Non‐pharmacological Treatments

By categorizing the caregiver-generated distressing behaviors to relevant NPTs, we highlight the need for referral to rehabilitation services in dementia care. This analysis suggests many dementia caregiver concerns map neatly to rehabilitation services, primarily those focusing on Cognitive Rehabilitation, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Treatment, Swallowing, Nutritional Treatment or structured Psychological Therapy. This offers practical information for health care providers when considering referral options to enhance function and reduce burden. NPTs are multi-tiered, and several might be used to manage behaviors and improve outcomes. Coding refinement and staff re-training for clarity in behavioral description may improve reliability of characterization or may highlight the need for multidisciplinary intervention.