Globally, over 55 million people live with dementia, with 10 million more diagnosed every year (1). Dementia can be accompanied by a variety of additional issues that impact mental health, functional abilities, cognition, safety, and quality of life (2-7). Sleep problems, depressive symptoms, and difficulty performing fundamental activities of daily living—such as bathing or feeding oneself—are three examples of common challenges in this population. But there is good news! Non-drug strategies are available supports to help address these challenges (2;3;6). Click on the links below to learn more.
Up to 40% of people living with dementia experience issues related to their sleep, like increasingly waking up at night (2;8). Research shows that compared to usual care, supports like physical activities, social activities, strategies that include carers, and multi-component strategies may help improve sleep in people living with dementia. These enhancements were shown to have a slight to moderate impact. More research on the topic is needed to increase our certainty in the findings (2).
Almost 50% of people living with dementia experience depressive symptoms. Some go on to receive a formal diagnosis of depression, but many do not (3;9;10). Research shows that compared to usual care, various non-drug strategies have the potential to reduce depressive symptoms in people living with dementia who are experiencing depressive symptoms but don’t have a formal diagnosis. These beneficial strategies include standalone cognitive stimulation, cognitive stimulation plus exercise and social interaction, massage and touch therapy, occupational therapy, multidisciplinary care, and reminiscence therapy (3).
3. Difficulty performing daily activities
Around 28% of older adults living with dementia at home are largely or totally dependent on others to complete daily activities (11). Research shows that compared to usual care, cognitive rehabilitation can produce large improvements in everyday functioning in people living with mild‐to‐moderate dementia. These positive results are immediate and may last up to one year, but more research is needed to increase certainty in the findings (6).
Are you living with dementia or a caregiver for someone who is? Be sure to identify any changes and challenges related to sleep, mental health, and engaging in and completing daily activities independently. Discuss these issues with your healthcare team and what treatment options are feasible and promising additions to the management plan.
