No more calling them non-pharmacological interventions: Reduce Psychotropics and improve Life by Honoring the Person and their Preferences

When I was a surveyor, I was referred to as a non-nurse. How many of you are non-nurses? It strikes me odd we don’t refer to non-social workers or non-anyone else. How does it make you feel to be a non-anything?

Now we have non-pharmacological interventions, and we have more trouble with the language.

Last month we looked at the problems with the word behavior/s. Instead of behavior, words that better explain what is happening might be communication/message/unmet need.

Dr. Al Power and many others refer to changing cognition instead of cognitive impairment or even using dementia so much. They make the point, cognition is changing, and it may not always be bad or negative. This neutralizes the language.

The term Intervention/s is also a problem. We discussed that in the May article. The term intervention is harsh; usually implying there is a big problem when often there is not when we are simply talking about a person and what they need in their life. Many researchers and leaders of language have moved on to approaches. I think that is really what we mean with the word intervention to be honest. We use different approaches for different individuals. In fact, in the care plan, I suggest using individualized approaches as that is what they are to be instead of generic. And, using the title is a great reminder.

Now non-pharmacological. Why does the non- get so much attention, I wonder? What is a non-pharmacological approach besides the obvious, that it is not medication? What would non-medication be? I contend it is living life, living life on your terms. Your wishes; your way. Honoring you and honoring your preferences.

By honoring the person and their preferences we can prevent a lot of problems.

Did you know that preferences shows up in the CMS LTC regulations 232 times!

232 CMS reference to preferences

Imagine if you lived there, your preferences are to be discovered and honored. That is good news. We may as well use language that highlights how good this is and how good it could be.

So much of the language is just too medical. Don’t fall into that trap. It’s a trap to be overly clinical in this clinical world but we need to do the opposite. Make the clinical bow to the normal life people are begging to live in what is actually their home, their house where we just happen to work. Move your team from non-pharmacological interventions to

honoring the person and their preferences. You’ll be glad you did.

Carmen Bowman, MHS, Regulator turned Educator of Edu-Catering: Catering Education for Compliance and Changing Institutional Culture is an activities/engagement/community life, regulatory compliance and culture change consultant.  She offers new or not-yet-qualified activity director consultation and personalized continuing education for professionals/teams/associations. At www.edu-catering.com join The Be Encouraged Blog, Become a Leader of Normal Life with the eResource GUARDIANS OF NORMAL LIFE: How Activity/ Recreation/ Engagement/Community Life Professionals can Save the World of LTC and share with your team the eBook Individualizing Medication Administration using Regulations. At the Edu-Catering YouTube channel, see the documentary that highlights changing institutional language Life Care Center of Casper Wyoming Culture Change Video 2023.