FC41: A guide to developing individualized behavioral care plans for expressions in advanced neurocognitive disorders (ANCD) and based on the meaning ascribed to them

Abstract

Expressions in ANCD are viewed as a mode of communication and ascribing meaning for their presence the key step to developing individualized behavioral care plans. Existing dementia care philosophies (PIECES™, GPA™, DementiaAbility and Teepa Snow Dementia Workshops) offer general directions but fail assist in ascribing meaning for the individual or clustering of the constellation of, varied phenotypic presentation of expressions in ANCD. The first step was to establish a biopsychosocial model for the generation of expressions; as all existing models were dichotomized along biological and psychosocial lines. The next step was developing a classification for the various phenotypic manifestations of expressions. This involved collecting ‘alike’ symptoms into individual categories and giving each category title which adequately represented the symptoms therein. Formation of behavioral categories was justified using existing validated psychological theories. Five psychological theories used to justify existence of behavioral categories: Information Processing Theories, Motivational Theories, Emotional Regulation Theories, Developmental Theories and Theories on Compliance and Aggression. These theories were able to ascribe meaning to individual behavioral categories and derived from their lived experiences: their Personhood. The ascribed meaning offers a framework for developing an individualized behavioral care plan for the expressions represented in each behavioral category. This framework, titled, LuBAIR™ Paradigm was structured in the form of an evaluative framework, both quantitative and qualitative, and presented as full day workshops, between 2017 to 2019, to frontline staff trained in existing dementia care philosophies. 92% of the attendees affirmed this paradigm’s ability to offer better assistance in “behavior care planning”. Qualitative thematic analysis: An innovative, simplified, enhanced, and comprehensive approach to understanding the reasons for the occurrence and recognition and labeling of behaviors in PwNCD. This approach offers increased insight into the understanding of “meaning” of behaviors in PwNCD. The Journal of Aging and Social Change: Volume 12, Issue 1, 2021.