Talking therapies conducted by a professional psychologist can be effective for people in the early to middle stage of dementia. They are unlikely to help if a person is in the later stage. This is because the person may have problems with their attention, communication, understanding and memory, which are all key to being able to benefit from talking therapies.
However, there are other ways to support people in the later stage of dementia, such as through sensitive listening or sensory stimulation.
Talking therapies can give a person with dementia the chance to speak openly about their feelings, including how they feel about a recent diagnosis. This can help them adjust and live with their condition more successfully. They might find it helpful to discuss problems with a therapist rather than their friends or family members.
A therapist can give the person a safe space to explore the reasons why they feel how they do and ways to support them. This can be comforting. It can also help them maintain healthy relationships with their friends and family members.
There is evidence that having talking therapy over several weeks may reduce depression and anxiety in people in the early stage of dementia. It is important that the therapy is adapted to the person’s level of communication, understanding and memory. It’s therefore likely to be most effective if the therapist has experience of working with people with dementia and a good understanding of the condition.

• Tags:
• Complementary Therapies
• Emotional Health