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Spain is the third country in the world with the most cases of dementia, so investing in innovation in this field is an obligation for the sector. Among the measures on the rise for the management of the pathology is the use of non-pharmacological therapies and the rational and appropriate use of psychotropic drugs.
We must understand that when we talk about non-pharmacological therapies, we are referring to interventions in which no chemical agent is applied. That is, they are designed based on theoretical foundations and can be replicated in different patients. This is especially useful in degenerative diseases such as dementiawhere it is not easy to get the drug treatment right, mainly due to the difficulty of locating the focus that should be attacked with drugs.
The use of non-pharmacological therapies allows reducing the consumption of drugs in people with dementia
For this reason, the use of non-pharmacological therapies in this type of diseases that involve a progressive weakening of mental faculties and, in particular, in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s. Moreover, the results of the investigations carried out have confirmed that the application of these therapies based on psychosocial interventions can be just as effective, or even more, than pharmacological to improve the quality of life of these patients.
As a result, there is currently a wide catalog of non-pharmacological therapies based on a great variety of activities that imply, to a greater or lesser extent, the participation of the patients in the process (something that is also conditioned by the deterioration that these degenerative diseases have caused in the subject). Among them, the following stand out:
daily life activities
These interventions seek to improve the degree of independence of the patient and reduce the need they have for other people or adapted equipment to improve their quality of life and that of their families. Thus, they focus on common activities such as grooming, dressing, eating or moving.
Snoezelen multisensory stimulation
This therapy requires specialized rooms in which different multisensory aspects are worked on in order to experience a reaction in the patient of relaxation, discovery and interactivity.
dog assisted therapy
The dog is the main motivator of the therapeutic sessions, with which it is intended to obtain psychological, social, emotional and cognitive improvements. It is aimed at people diagnosed with dementia who have an interest in and/or affection for animals, as it has been shown that this can positively influence social behavior and reduce agitated behavior in people with dementia.
music therapy
He uses music and its elements according to the needs and abilities of dementia patients. Spaces for dialogue, stimulation, creativity and memory are created to work on emotional, social, physical and cognitive aspects of the patient.
Comprehensive cognitive activation program
It seeks to maintain cognitive abilities as well as possible within the deterioration process of the disease, as well as prevent behavioral problems and serve as the basis for psychoeducational support plans.
psychomotor stimulation
The patient must differentiate the parts of the body and have good control of the postures to avoid stiffness arising. Work is carried out that enhances body awareness (such as static and dynamic balance) or coordination, among others.
therapeutic creative dance
In this type of intervention, movement is used in a psychotherapeutic way within a creative process in order to achieve the person’s body-mind integration. It seeks to activate the creative potential in terms of orientation and acceptance.
Some of these therapies are seemingly so simple that they may seem ineffective. However, as a direct consequence of its application to patients suffering from dementia, they experience a increased self-esteem and a noticeable improvement in your mood, something vital when dealing with the disease and stopping the damage caused to the brain. And what’s more, with the added benefit of reduce the number of drugs to ingest.