Caregiving Articles
© Copyright 2007 Sheryl Karas & Paul Hood
Alternative Therapies for
Dementia Patients
by Sheryl Karas M.A.
As a family consultant I get a lot of questions about alternative therapies for Alzheimer's Disease and related dementia. Aricept and Exelon are expensive and not really a cure so those in the early stages of the disease are often very interested in pursuing other avenues. I always caution my clients that not enough research on alternative approaches has been done by conventional Western resources to guarantee results. However, independent researchers have uncovered some treatments that are worthy of attention and Eastern traditions have created entire regimens of diet, lifestyle changes and herbs that have been used to maintain and improve brain function for thousands of years. I, personally, have not come across any alternative approach I would trust that promises a total cure for Alzheimer's Disease and other degenerative dementias; however, I do use Eastern approaches to healing in my life and have found treatments that I think have great benefit and are worth exploring further. We'll be exploring some of these approaches in this and future newsletters.
A word of caution: Alternative approaches are not usually based on symptomatic relief. They tend to work on the problem from a systemic level—what is going in the person's physical, emotional, mental and spiritual environment that would lead to these symptoms developing. Working effectively with alternative approaches requires a greater level of personal responsibility - you may need to examine your life on a deeper level than you might be used to doing and choose new ways of eating, living, or even thinking. Simply popping a few vitamins the way you would a pharmaceutical is not always effective enough in the long run without these supporting behaviors. It also requires a level of physical and emotional support most caregivers and patients neglect to factor into the equation. For example, a caregiver may need to learn new ways of cooking; a patient's symptoms can sometimes temporarily increase in the early stages of a healing regimen; and some alternative practices allow the patient to feel buried emotions that need to be released before healing can occur. This takes time, patience and lots of support (when it can be done at all).
* Who Can You Trust about Alternative Approaches to Dementia Care?
* Currying Your Way to Health—Turmeric and the Brain
* Elephants Never Forget—They Eat Brahmi
* Berry Good for the Brain—The Role of Antioxidants
* Healing Through the Human Energy Field
* Music as a Therapeutic Tool
This article can be found in Sheryl’s latest book The Spiritual Journey of Family Caregiving.
Caregiving Articles