Decibels Intervention : intervention approach based on the meanings of vocal behaviours of older people living with a neurocognitive disorder : manual for family and formal caregivers

Abstract

In long-term care facilities (LTCF), most residents have major neurocognitive disorders, for example, Alzheimer’s, vascular, mixed, frontotemporal or Lewy body disease. Among these older people, up to 60% of them manifest vocal behaviours. These vocal behaviours can indicate an ill-being in the older people who manifest them. They also have many consequences for the person with this type of behaviour, such as social isolation, overmedication and increased anxiety. These behaviours also affect other people in the environment (e.g. other residents, family or formal caregivers). Concerned by this situation and wishing to increase the well-being of older people living with Alzheimer’s disease, our research team has developed an intervention to help formal and family caregivers of older people manifesting vocal behaviours. This intervention took the form of an approach based on the meanings of vocal behaviours. A memory aid tool presenting the various elements of this approach is available in the toolbox at the end of this manual (Tool 1). This manual presents our intervention approach, which is divided as follows. First, it defines the key terms used in the approach to ensure readers’ understanding. Second, it presents the principles underlying the approach and how to implement this approach. Finally, each step of the approach is explained. Various tools that could be useful in carrying out this approach are presented in the appendix.