According to recent research, massage therapy was shown to reduce agitated behavior in nursing-home residents with cognitive impairment.
The study, “Massage in the Management of Agitation in Nursing Home Residents with Cognitive Impairment,” involved 52 residents from two nursing homes. Subjects ranged in age from 70 to 105 and had a history of agitated behavior, as well as a diagnosis of cognitive impairment, whether moderate or severe.

Five aspects of agitation were measured at baseline, during the hands-on intervention and at follow-up one and two weeks later. The five aspects of agitation assessed were wandering, verbally agitated/abusive, physically agitated/abusive, socially inappropriate/disruptive and resists care.

One member of the research team made all assessments. Agitation in all five categories was rated on a scale of zero to six, with zero indicating the behavior was absent and six indicating the behavior was severe and required intervention.

Staff at each nursing home identified a one-hour time frame, deemed the agitation window” which varied subject by subject. It was during this agitation window that the assessments were made and when massage therapy took place.

The study’s hands-on practitioner used effleurage on all subjects, applying massage with gliding or sliding movements and light-to-moderate pressure in a smooth, continuous manner. Massage sessions lasted 10 to 15

Lotion was used on occasion to reduce the friction between hands and skin, and subjects remained clothed during the sessions. In addition, consent was received from each participant’s family or official caretaker, as well as his or her physician. Verbal consent was obtained from the nursing-home residents themselves prior to each massage.

Results of the research revealed agitation levels for four of the five symptoms were lower during massage than at baseline. At follow-up, both one and two weeks later, agitation levels were lower for all five categories.

“Mean agitation levels at baseline were higher, and decreases in agitation were significant during and following the massage intervention for four of the five symptoms—all except socially disruptive behavior,” state the study’s authors. “Non-pharmacological interventions, such as massage, may be particularly attractive to families who would prefer to avoid the side effects of medication, such as sedation.”

The researchers recommend further investigation of massage as an approach to managing agitation among nursing-home residents with cognitive impairment.

Authors: Mary Jane Sorenson and Elizabeth Purcell.

Sources: Benedictine and St. Eligius Health Centers of Duluth, Minnesota; the Duluth Clinic Education and Research Foundation.

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