DH says doesn’t need any therapy

sunshine5

DH diagnosed with mild dementia last year. Neurologist recommend therapy- speech therapy will be helpful. He says he doesn’t need any.

He watches tv, goes for a daily walk, eats and goes to sleep. That’s the daily routine. Doesn’t call friends, socialize. Short term memory is v bad, can’t remember the date or what was said a few minutes ago. Only treatment he is on for AD is Exelon patch of Lowest dose. Higher dose Exelon patch and other two Alzheimer’s meds on the market usually prescribed gave him a reaction!

What daily activities do help / improve AD person with anosognosia?

I think music and aromatherapy help.

sandwichone123

Hi Sunshine,

Speech therapy that your dh doesn't want is unlikely to be helpful. I'm not sure what specific deficit the neurologist would be addressing, but between cooperation and memory I wouldn't think that would be worth fighting for.

The activities that help are the ones you/he enjoy. Alzheimer's is progressive no matter what you do, so make the best of every good day. Music and aromatherapy can be lovely, and lots of folks here have had very good experiences with music helping their LWD feel calmer and happier.

M1

Sunshine, on another thread I looked up whether speech therapy was helpful in dementia, and there was very little data supporting it.  If he doesn't want it, I would just ignore the suggestion.  Music and aromatherapy as as good as anything else:  the sad truth is that there really isn't much out there that does help.

Quilting brings calm

The speech  therapist that visited my mom last fall also did memory exercises and activities with her. I can’t say that it helped, but it did give mom someone to talk to that wasn’t a family member.  Our family is very dysfunctional ( especially my parents’ relationship).   The therapist called me at the end of her last visit to discuss her feelings about that relationship. Unfortunately finances prevents me following her advice. 

If your spouse doesn’t want it, it’s not going to be helpful because he won’t cooperate.  I would instead  suggest maybe some therapy for you so that you can come to understand what the future holds for the two of you. It will give you a place to vent your fears and frustrations.  Maybe the therapist will have some  materials that will help you understand your spouse’s limitations. 

Rescue mom

I basically agree with others. If he does not want it, does not enjoy it, it’s unlikely the therapy will help. He probably can’t remember it regardless, so if he does not enjoy it “in the moment” of doing it, I’d also ask why continue.

My mom, elderly with bad dementia and other issues,  had “PT therapy” and “occupational therapy”, off and and on, for a few years. It did NOT help, not at all, in terms of improving her conditions.

But she liked the attention, the company, and the activity while it was happening. She forgot it all, fast, but she did enjoy it while she was doing it. No harm done, the costs were covered or very minimal, so my view was “why not.”

If she ever objected or protested, I stopped it. Some time would pass, and she’d agree to more. 

If he enjoys music and aromatherapy, that’s great. If it helps him maintain a better attitude,  he enjoys it, that’s all good,man very positive achievement. Not much helps in terms of “curing” or improving his actual cognitive condition, but keeping him happier and calmer is a great thing and so important.

Iris L.

Cognitive rehabilitation therapy falls under the umbrella of speech therapy.  It is mainly for post stroke or post brain injury patients to help them regain function.  It has very limited to no usefulness for a PWD.  The "therapy" would be for the caregiver and family to understand what dementia means and to learn new ways of communication.  Frankly, what is discussed on these message boards is appropriate and readily available and better, IMO.

Music therapy is very useful.  In fact, a music therapist was one of the professionals enlisted for the Alzheimer's Cruise that I went on.  The therapy was singing easy songs and playing easy instruments, such as rattles and egg shakers.  I agree with music, easy dancing, walking, and aromatherapy.  Anything easy and safe done manually, such as baking cookies with supervision, can engage the mind.  There are threads on activities for PWD.  IMO, television should be limited or excluded, it is mostly depressing and disturbing.

Iris

Paris20

Having been on this journey for seven years, and counting, I can say that from my experience dealing with a husband who has had anasognosia from day one (and still has it), there’s nothing that will work in the long run. The short run is so short, especially with the loss of short-term memory, that all the effort you exert to correct uncorrectable problems isn’t the best place to put your energy.

The bottom line is to make your husband as happy and as comfortable as you can while keeping him safe. Sometimes that takes a great deal of thought, e.g., what lie do I tell him so that he doesn’t try to drive? The simpler and more familiar life is for him, the easier your daily life will be. This is not the time to initiate changes in the hope that you can postpone the inevitable. I recall what our PCP told my daughters when they expressed concern that Dad’s elevated blood sugar should preclude sweets. The doctor said that my husband’s fate was already sealed and if he could get some pleasure from a piece of candy, so be it. I think that was wise advice.