AN INTRODUCTION TO ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES FOR DEMENTIA CARE


I preface this and other articles on Alternative Therapies with this statement:

We are not advocating the use of alternative therapies as your soul source of treatment. We are here to inform, educate and empower you and your charges. Alternative therapies can work in conjunction with pharmacology to enhance treatment while providing positive and beneficial results. On their own, they have been shown to alleviate, and in many cases, eliminate a multitude of symptoms. Rest assured, unlike most pharmaceuticals, alternative therapies do no harm. Side effects, if any, are negligible and all provide benefit to both patient and caregiver.

We do suggest working with your physician to incorporate alternative therapies into your care plan. Many physicians find value and embrace their use while others are strictly by the book. While many alternative therapies have been the choice of medical treatment for centuries, it has only been since the dawning of the 3rd millennium that the medical community has begun to incorporate them. Physicians around the globe as well as hospitals, hospice and dementia care facilities are relying more and more on the use of a non-pharmacological approach.

If you haven't already, I highly suggest taking a look at www.lbdtools.com . Authors, Jim and Helen Whitworth created LBDTools.com to help caregivers better understand the various diseases and disorders and focus on how to provide appropriate care for their patients and loved ones.  Their Award Winning books, “A Caregivers Guide to Lewy Body Dementia,” and “Managing Cognitive Issues in Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia” were born out of their personal experiences as caregivers to their loved ones and the frustrations experienced over the limited knowledge surrounding LBD. Both books have been lauded as incredible resources for caregivers and must reads.

The Whitworth’s will tell you, care giving isn’t a job, it’s a labor of love, personal sacrifice and commitment that can take its toll on your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing well beyond what you can imagine. Their books take you deep into the role of caregiver to better help prepare you and fully understand the importance of caring for yourself too.

This is another positive side to incorporating Alternative Therapies into your care giving routines. While these therapies can have a positive impact on your charge, they can also have as positive an impact on the caregiver. Many of these therapies require physical contact, others, a connection on the spiritual and/or emotional level. As a caregiver, this contact with the therapies may provide you with the same or similar positive experience your charge will have.

While there are a multitude of therapies, we will cover those therapies that:
1.      Are evidence based in nature and have been shown to have great impact on the health and well being of the dementia patient as well as their caregivers

2.      Are a range of affordable services provided by licensed, trained therapist with a history and extensive experience working with dementia patients

3.     Are therapies (most) that can be taught to caregivers who desire to implement them in the care of their patients or loved ones

4.     We have researched for higher than average results with recommendations for specific products that meet the highest standards in the industry

5.     Have been found to have a significant impact on behavioral and physical problems found in patients suffering from dementia.

Please join us at http://alternativetherapiesfordementia.blogspot.com/ for upcoming weekly articles covering: 
·        Incorporating Alternative Therapies

·        Essential Oils and their role in dementia care:
o   Essential Oils for Nutrition Therapy
o   Essential Oils and Massage Therapy
o   Essential Oils and Touch Therapy
o   Essential Oils for Aroma Therapy - Stress Reduction, Improved Sleep, Memory and Cognition
·        Music Therapy
o   Healing Frequencies, Tones and Vibration – Impacting the body on a Cellular Level
o   Music and Memory
·        Art Therapy
o   Memory and Motor Function
o   Color and How it Relates to Dementia
o   Fractal Therapy
·        Meditation and Stretch Yoga

·        Nutrition Therapy – Dealing with Toxicity

·        CBD Oil – Researching the Best, Purest, Cleanest and Organically Grown Product and the Positive Impact on Dementia and Overall Health.

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