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12 • APRIL 2020 - Senior Voice of Citrus County Health Connections
12 • APRIL 2020 - Senior Voice of Citrus County
Coping with Dementia

Use simple therapies that trigger good feelings

By Debbie “delusion;” rather it should enjoyed between the ages especially women. It seems

Selsavage be recognized as a valuable of eight and 20. To see just to give them comfort and
tool for effective care. Use how effective it is, go to a sense of purpose. Some
Medicine nostalgic artifacts and YouTube and watch “Alive people think an older

today is so reminiscence about their past Inside.” person holding a doll is
driven by life to validate the reality that “demeaning.” I don’t agree.
technology seems to give them comfort. Doll Therapy – Many times, If it gives your loved one
and a soft doll will become the comfort, it is not demeaning.

pharmacology, we too often Hug Therapy – Hugs are constant companion of a
overlook the ways we can proven to work, especially person living with dementia, Continued on page 21
ease pain and improve for people living with brain
quality of life through simple disorders, but many of our

therapies based on love, care partners don’t practice
compassion, respect, and it enough. I saw it work
dignity. with my husband, Albert,
so effectively that he was
The field of dementia care is removed entirely from
an area where compassion mood-altering medication.
can get better results than the
use of drugs. This is because Music Therapy – Music
the organs in our brain that Therapy is another proven

govern our emotions – the non-medical therapy that can
amygdalae – survive and work wonders. Similar to
continue to function long Nostalgia Therapy, it seems

after dementia has ravaged to work best when we choose
the “thinking” parts of our music that our loved one
brain.

Consequently, the “feeling”

part of our brain can be the
last and only tool a care
partner has to work with.
We can do this with simple

therapies that have been
known and used for decades;
in some cases, even for
centuries. They include:

Nostalgia Therapy – It is not
uncommon for individuals
living with dementia to lose

their recent memories, but
be able to retain recollection
of an earlier time in their
life. Sometimes, they “go
there” and seem to live

in that earlier time. This
should not be dismissed as