The AASC®

Agitation in Alzheimer’s Screener for Caregivers

The information on this website and from the questionnaire are not a substitute for professional/clinical judgment. The content is designed to provide educational information and not intended to define a standard of care or exclusive course of treatment. The AASC® is a screening tool and is not a diagnostic tool. 

AASC®

Agitation in Alzheimer’s Screener for Caregivers

A person with Alzheimer’s dementia may become easily upset, frustrated, or angry. These feelings may be associated with agitation, a common symptom of Alzheimer’s. The following questions ask about behaviors associated with agitation that you may have observed in the individual for whom you provide care. Your answers to these questions can help you talk with your person’s healthcare professional. Please select one response for each question.

*All form elements are required to be filled out before completion.

Question 1

Are you noticing any of the following that represent a change from the individual’s usual or past behavior?

a. Repeating motions or behaviors (e.g. rocking, raising fist, pointing finger)
b. Pacing or restlessness (cannot be still)
c. Cursing/using profanity or lashing out verbally
d. Raising voice or yelling or screaming
e. Resisting assistance or care
f. Throwing or hitting or breaking things
g. Trying to hurt self or others (e.g. grabbing, kicking, hitting, biting)

Question 2

Do any of these behaviors negatively affect the individual’s relationships, activities, or willingness to receive care?

Reference(s)

1. Halpern R, et al. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2019;34(3):420-431. 2. Koenig AM, Arnold SE, Streim JE. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2016;18(1):3.