Sustainability of an Innovation to Support and Respond to Persons With Behaviors Related to Dementia and Delirium

Gentle Persuasive Approaches (GPA) in Dementia Care, a program designed for staff caring for patients in long-term care who exhibit challenging behaviors, was implemented and has been sustained in an acute care setting. Outcomes include fewer codes indicating violent situations, a reduction in physical restraint and sitter use, and fewer reports of safety incidents involving agitated patients. In this article, we describe the innovation (GPA) and the strategies used to sustain its successful implementation.