Using the Meaning Ascribed to Individual Behavioral Categories to Develop Behavioral Care Plans in Advanced Neurocognitive Disorders

Abstract

Expressions in Advanced Neurocognitive Disorders (ANCD) viewed as mode of communication and ascribing meaning to them a key next step. Existing dementia care philosophies (PIECES™, GPA™) offer general directions but fail to assist in ascribing meaning to, individual or clustering of the constellation of, varied phenotypic presentation. The first step to ascribing meaning was to posit a biopsychosocial model for the generation of expressions: existing models dichotomized along biological and psychosocial lines. The next step was classification of various phenotypic manifestations of expressions. This involved collecting ‘alike’ symptoms into individual categories and each represented by a title, adequately represented the symptoms therein. Five psychological theories used to justify existence of and ascribe meaning to each behavioral category: Information Processing Theories, Motivational Theories, Emotional Regulation Theories, Developmental Theories and Theories on Compliance and Aggression. 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 is used. This approach offers increased insight into the understanding of “meaning” of behaviors in PwNCD. Meaning ascribed to individual behavioral category, and derived from their personhood, offers a framework for developing an individualized behavioral care plan.

Presenters

Atul Sunny Luthra
Psychiatrist, Medical Coordinator, Program for Older Adults, Homewood Health Centre, Ontario, Canada

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

2025 Special Focus—Aging, Intergenerational Solidarity and the Polycrisis

KEYWORDS

Behavioral care plans in advanced neurocognitive disorders, LuBAIR™ Paradigm