Does Talk Therapy Help Dementia?

At this year’s International Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), the University of Exeter presented their findings from a large-scale trial for Goal-oriented Cognitive Rehabilitation. In the study, participants in early-stage Alzheimer’s or related dementia from eight care facilities in England and Wales partook of cognitive rehabilitation therapy. These participants showed significant improvement in cognitive abilities.

Dr. Ola Kudlicka, who managed the trial, said, “Our trial shows that people with early-stage dementia, given the right kind of support, have the capacity to learn and to improve their skills.”

Cognitive rehabilitation effectively supports people to achieve the goals that matter to them most. Researchers look forward to expanding these findings and may be able to quantify benefits for delays in the need for people to go into care homes.

Alzheimer’s Society funded a pilot study for this work and is now funding an implementation study to validate the methods and findings. All involved understand the value of personalized care, owing to how unique dementia is for each individual. Read the full article here.

Tailored approaches to care show clear benefits and OPICA has been utilizing this approach for over 35 years. If you or a loved one needs support, we encourage you to reach our therapy programs click HERE.

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