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How Therapy Can Be Used to Manage Alzheimer’s

September 30th, 2008 · No Comments · Diseases

by Juliane Anders

With the many treatment options that are currently on the market, it can be difficult to select the one that is best. Being knowledgeable about various treatment options is critical in selecting a proper treatment plan. Some modern treatments include therapy and pharmaceutical drugs, as well as care giving.

Temporary treatment options for the symptoms of mild Alzheimer’s include such medications as Razadyne and Aricept. The US Food and Drug Administration approves of these drugs in order to hide the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease for up to 12 months; however, these drugs quickly lose their effects are this time period.

Antipsychotic medications can also treat the anger and aggression that can result from the breakdown of neurons. Typically, people will hold back on primitive human emotions that are not acceptable in public; however, as Alzheimer’s progresses these individuals lose their ability to control their impulses. Antipsychotic drugs can aid in proper social function and normal behavior.

As well, therapy can have an important effect in improving social function and behavior. Often there are trigger events that can cause an unwanted behavior, and knowing how to spot these triggers can lead to the ability to control them. Usually, an individual who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease is not aware of their actions, and therapy can help deal with this issue.

Additional methods of utilizing therapy involve using settings familiar to the individual with Alzheimer’s disease, such as pictures or music from their past in order to better improve memory function.

Therapy using such elements as tape recordings or the voices of loved ones and testing memory recall is typically conducive of a soothing feeling in those with Alzheimer’s, as they gain a sense of security from the familiar settings.

When Alzheimer’s enters the moderate stage, more attention and care is required from a persons loved ones. Dangerous behaviors will become to emerge, such as setting off a smoke alarm by forgetting about the dinner in the oven, or turning the shower nozzle all the way to hot, potentially resulting in serious burns. A caregiver is needed to keep the person with Alzheimer’s safe, and one’s spouse can provide this role. As this disease doesn’t manifest itself until the age of retirement, an elderly spouse may have difficulty taking care of their husband or wife with the illness. In this case, a nursing home that caters to such an illness can be useful.

Due to the wide variety of treatments on the market, staying on top of the latest developments is important in selecting the options right for you, as well as your loved ones. Care giving, pharmaceutical drugs, and therapy are all viable options in managing this disorder.

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