ARTICLE The use of multi-sensory interventions to manage dementia-related behaviours in the residential aged care setting: a survey of one Australian state Michael Bauer, Jo-Anne Rayner, Susan Koch and Carol Chenco Aims and objectives. To describe the use of multi-sensory interventions in residential aged care services (RACS) for the management of dementia-related behaviours in residential aged care in Victoria, Australia. Background. The popularity of multi-sensory interventions has spread worldwide, including for use in residential aged care, despite limited evidence to support their efficacy. Design. This study reports the findings of the first stage of a two-stage project that was undertaken to describe and evaluate the use of multi-sensory interventions for the management of dementia-related behaviours in all residential aged care facilities in Victoria, Australia. Methods. A computer-assisted telephone interview survey was developed and administered to residential aged care facilities in Victoria, Australia, to collect descriptive data on the use of multi-sensory interventions for the management of dementia- related behaviours. Results. A diverse and eclectic range of multi-sensory interventions are currently being used by residential aged care facilities. The findings suggest the use of multi-sensory interventions are used in an ad hoc manner, and there is no universal definition of multi-sensory interventions, little formal training for staff administering the interventions and no guideline for their use, nor evaluation of their impact on residents’ behaviour. Conclusion. Multi-sensory interventions have been widely adopted for use in RACS in Victoria, Australia, and are currently being used without formal guidelines and little evidence to support their use in clinical practice. Relevance to clinical practice. In the absence of a formal definition of what constitutes a multi-sensory intervention, training for staff and careful assessment and monitoring of residents who receive multi-sensory interventions, we recommend further research and development of policy and procedures to safe guard the use of multi-sensory interventions for people with dementia. Key words: dementia, multi-sensory therapies, residential aged care services, snoezelen Accepted for publication: 23 June 2012 Introduction Dementia is one of the leading reasons for entry into residential aged care in Australia. In 2010, there were an estimated 257,000 Australians with dementia, a figure that is forecast to increase to over 981,000 by 2050 (Access Economics 2010). The estimated increase in the prevalence of dementia and the associated need for care and support Authors: Michael Bauer, PhD, MGerontol, BA, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care, Austra- lian Institute for Primary Care and Ageing, La Trobe University, Melbourne; Jo-Anne Rayner, PhD, MWmHlth, GradDipWmHlth, BNsg, Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Melbourne; Susan Koch, PhD, MNsg, BA, Principal Research Fellow, Royal District Nursing Service, Melbourne; Carol Chenco, BSc, Grad Dip, Research Officer, Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care, Australian Institute for Primary Care and Ageing, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia Correspondence: Michael Bauer, Senior Research Fellow, Austra- lian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care, Australian Institute for Primary Care and Ageing, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic. 3086, Australia. Telephone: +61 03 9479 6003. E-mail: m.bauer@latrobe.edu.au © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd Journal of Clinical Nursing, 21, 3061–3069, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2012.04306.x 3061