Background: The anxiety associated with unfamiliar surroundings, the disorientation and mental confusion, and the social isolation that accompanies dementia can often create increased stress for people living in long-term care settings. Such a response is thought to affect the autonomic nervous system and result in emotional and physical symptoms of distress that may be manifested […]
Background: There is increasing interest in using complementary and alternative treatments to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia such as agitation, aggression and depressed mood. Objective: To compare the effect of foot massage (intervention) and quiet presence (control) on agitation and mood in people with dementia. Design: A randomised controlled trial using a within-subjects, […]
This pilot study aimed to compare the effect of companion robots (PARO) to participation in an interactive reading group on emotions in people living with moderate to severe dementia in a residential care setting. A randomized crossover design, with PARO and reading control groups, was used. Eighteen residents with mid- to late-stage dementia from one […]