TYPOLOGY OF DISRUPTIVE VOCALIZATIONS IN OLDER PERSONS SUFFERING FROM DEMENTIA

Verbal and vocal disruptive behaviors (VDB) are important clinical fea tures in dementia because they frequently signal discomfort experience d by an elderly person and because they are disturbing to caregivers, thereby affecting the care of elderly persons manifesting them. This a rticle describes a typology of VDB, the Typology of Vocalizations-TOV. The conceptual framework underlying the development of this typology includes the assumptions that VDB consist of more than one type of beh avior and that interventions should be matched to the etiology of the specific type of VDB. The article reports interrater reliability of th e typology and validates it against Ryan's classification of verbal an d vocal disruptive behaviors. Critical dimensions of the typology are examined and used for its refinement. Finally, use of the TOV for matc hing individuals to the most effective intervention is demonstrated. ( C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.