Implications for practice and research

• To promote caregivers’ capacity for action, the occurrence of refusal of care in people living with a major neurocognitive disorder (NCD) can be conceptualised as a need for the caregiver to adapt the care offered, its characteristics and/or the approach used.

• Further research should address the relationship between agitation and refusal of care in people with an NCD, while considering its complexity, to reduce both behaviours.

Context

Refusal of care or resistance to care is the terms frequently used to describe people living with a major NCD refusing care verbally or physically. As people with an NCD have significant cognitive impairment, these behaviours are common and have an impact on the relationship between …