| we consider compassionate touch or massage, | | | | direct physical contact provides the Alzheimer |
| and Alzheimer's disease, we need to know what | | | | sufferers to relax, and so reducing the anxiety |
| Alzheimer's disease actually is. It is a neurological | | | | associated with it. The compassionate touch |
| disorder characterized by a loss of memory, | | | | therapy through massage offers immense relief |
| speechlessness and paralysis. It is a progressive | | | | and aids the drug therapy, which the sufferers of |
| disease that destroys parts of the brain, and is | | | | Alzheimer's disease may have been prescribed |
| therefore incurable. | | | | with. The massage therapy can be effective in |
| Compassionate Touch and Deciding on Massage | | | | two ways: it can induce relaxation by alleviating |
| Approach | | | | some of the anxiety associated with Alzheimer's, |
| For the person suffering from Alzheimer's disease | | | | and it can stimulate the nervous system that is in |
| who has lost memory, your compassionate touch | | | | decline because of the disease. |
| may be the one thing with which he or she | | | | The elderly sufferers of Alzheimer's generally |
| connects. Hold your loved one's hands, give a | | | | experience a loss of sensitivity to touch and the |
| gentle massage to his or her feet, legs, or arms. | | | | compassionate touch of massage can help to |
| Even if the one suffering from Alzheimer's does | | | | re-invigorate it. Alzheimer's massage can have |
| not recognize you and cannot communicate | | | | other benefits as well. In addition to helping |
| verbally, this is one way of reassurance and love. | | | | eliminate or reduce anxiety, massage can also |
| Alzheimer's massage decreases physical agitation | | | | decrease the amount of pain experienced by |
| and improves sleep patterns in people suffering | | | | Alzheimer's sufferers. Compassionate touch is an |
| from Alzheimer's disease. | | | | expression of intimacy and emotional |
| A 26-minute video available on - "Compassionate | | | | connectedness and if carried out by family |
| touch: benefits and effects in Alzheimer's care" - | | | | members, can elicit increased contact and |
| shows the use of attentive touch and gentle | | | | improved communication. |
| massage in caring for and relating to people with | | | | The relations between compassionate touch and |
| Alzheimer's disease. Massage is therapeutic and its | | | | Alzheimer's is only being realized now. Alzheimer's |
| application in Alzheimer's disease has shown | | | | massage benefits the sufferers not only by |
| reduction in behaviors such as wandering, | | | | relieving pain, but also by their over-all protection. |
| aggression and agitation. | | | | Building the nervous system's response to stimuli |
| The stimulation provided by massage helps | | | | enables the elderly Alzheimer's patients to resist |
| Alzheimer patients to communicate physically. The | | | | physical and mental decline. |