Non pharmacological treatment in dementia

ABSTRACT

Dementia is a multifactorial disease of the elderly. Dementia is defined as the loss of the mind, in other words it is the cognitive discount with memory and personality impairment. Behavioral and psychological disorders are a major problem of the disease, as they affect the speed of mental retardation of the elderly, worsening their daily life by making it difficult, accelerating their institutionalization and burdening their caregivers. Although medications are necessary and useful to treat only a few symptoms of dementia, non-medications come to enhance the therapeutic effect of the available drugs with the particular advantage of being free of side effects, flexible and adapted to the needs of each patient. The purpose of this review is to highlight the importance of major non-pharmacological interventions in the treatment of dementia in the elderly population. For the writing of this review, the data used were drawn from scientific articles, indicative studies and reviews from the international literature. In conclusion, non-pharmacological interventions are necessary and helpful in combating behavioral disorders in dementia.

Keywords: Dementia, old age, cognitive impairment, non-pharmacological interventions, behavioral disorders