Day Twenty-Eight!

Thank you for joining me on this 31 day journey. I hope these tips and thoughts have, at minimum, evoked a bit of knowledge and have provided insight on aspects of dementia.

Today I would like to chat about mental health changes with your loved ones experiencing dementia. Often, even after diagnosis, adults with dementia will have changes to mood, behavior, mental health and caregivers are unsure how to manage.

Mental health fluctuations is the number one reason for psychotropics and psycho-pharmaceuticals. Adults with dementia are seen at a healthcare provider for their symptoms as sleeplessness, delirium, hallucination, depression, anxiety, aggression, lethargy, suicidal thoughts or ideation, changes in eating or drinking, and as a result, prescriptions as antidepressants or psycho-pharmaceuticals are prescribed.

As I noted in earlier postings these pharmaceuticals have 100% side effects and in many cases, in the majority of cases, causes increased secondary symptoms. With Alzheimer's or any form of dementia, brain activity shifts, thought patterns, cognitive functioning, memory, it all is interrupted and so these prescriptions are not processed or absorbed the same way as a normative functioning adult without dementia.

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I often see more irrational thoughts, isolation, hallucination, delirium, irritability and increased sleeplessness or chronic lethargy, with muscle atrophy, bone loss, and a number of health issues. Now, I'm not saying don't do prescriptive treatments or management, I'm saying understand what you're getting into and it has 100% side effect. Now, the spectrum or the intensity or severity of that 100% side effect is dependent on each patient.

Often it becomes challenging to understand what the root cause of the symptom and so doctors treat the symptom.

Imagine, if we could just get at the root of the dementia or Alzheimer's or lewybody or Parkinson's or diabetes or alcoholism or any condition causing dementia. Many claims have been made with research including a new pill however nothing conclusively has been observed, despite fanciful and authoritative confirmation. As you know, if you've been following me through the years, I believe in alternative therapy.

Alternative therapy such as behavioral or cognitive therapy, massage, music therapy, or EMDR and EFT, as well as nutritional therapy, supplemental therapy, and I also believe in environmental changes, impacting a person.?

I love ambiance in my home including soothing lighting, wonderful scent of food cooking that creates appetite, colors, plants, music, fire in the fireplace, texture, warmth, all of these create a peaceful home for me; a safe home for me, an inviting home for me, and an inspirational home for me home filled with love. When I have people visiting they never want to leave and often denote its a cocoon of comfort.

Adults with dementia, due to the changes occurring in their mind, brain, memory, thoughts and their body, require this cocoon. Just lighting alone creates a calming behavioral effect. Having foods slow cooking and scents wafting in the air create salivation and appetite. We have to, if you will "create a seduction" a transitioning between activties of sleep or appetite or movement. Dementia, Alzheimer's especially, only allows adults to understand singular concepts and jolting from sitting to eating is too disruptive.

When a caregiver is supporting daily activities with hygiene, dressing, movement, etcetera, in addition to feeding, there has to be a trust and a rapport. Adults with dementia cannot go from one minute sitting to the next minute eating there has to be a transition and with the Language of Alzheimer's we learn how to create these transitional scenarios and minimizing behavioral fluctuations and creating this cocoon of calm, safety, and better living.

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As always seek support as needed with a geriatric specialist and understand alternative options are available. Again, seek those professionals with geriatric experience. The use of concomitant drugs and prescriptions causes 100% side effects our loved ones deserve a better life then being sedated and "comatosed" with drugs. Working with patients, I am able to alleviate their agitation with alternative therapies as EFT and EMDR and there are no prescriptions involved. Cranial therapy, massage therapy, music therapy, it all supports in alleviating agitation and increases wellness.

If you would like to learn more please reach out and attend one of our webinars or courses and learn more about alternative options.

As always, wishing you the greatest life possible!

Dr. Holzner

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