Prevalence of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms in Bedridden Dementia Patients. A Study from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Background: Bedridden patients who are suffering from dementia require close care which is usually done by a relative or a professional caregiver. The caregiver may face inappropriate behaviors from the patient that should be handled with patience. Objective: To determine the prevalence of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms among bedridden dementia patients. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that utilized a structured questionnaire for data collection. The caregivers of bedridden patients diagnosed with dementia were targeted to fill out the questionnaire. No specific exclusion criteria were applied. The demography of the patients and caregivers was obtained along with BPSD and the responses of the caregivers. Results: A total of (64) responses were analyzed. The mean age for patients was 77.3±8.8. Of the patients, 59.7% were males whereas 77.6% of the caregivers were females. The median (IQR) for caregivers was 40 (35-45). Repeating sentences/questions and complaining were the most common reported behaviors with 37.3% each, followed by constant demand for unnecessary assistance by 29.9% of the patients. Conclusion: BPSD’s prevalence in patients with dementia in the community was found to be 50.7%. Key words: Alzheimer, Caregiver, Dependent, Elderly, Inappropriate behavior