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- Talking to a Loved One With Alzheimer’s
- 10 Powerful Ways to Commemorate Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
- Making the Most of Mealtimes for People With Alzheimer’s
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- Alzheimer’s Care Costs Far More Than Heart Disease or Cancer Care
- Obesity at Midlife May Speed Alzheimer’s Onset
- Hello from my mom
- Easing the Behavior Problems of Alzheimer’s Without Drugs
- When Alzheimer’s Leads to Legal Wrangles
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- High Blood Sugar Tied to Memory Decline
- Blood Test for Alzheimer’s Gets Closer
- Worried About Your Memory? Alzheimer’s May Not Be to Blame
- Brain Changes of Menopause May Promote Alzheimer’s
- Predicting Who Will Get Alzheimer’s
- Personality Changes Are Not the Earliest Sign of Alzheimer’s
- Midlife Heart Problems Raise Alzheimer’s Risk
- Anemia Tied to Mild Cognitive Impairment Risk
- Being Too Thin Late in Life Tied to Increased Alzheimer’s Risk
- A Sniff Test for Alzheimer’s Getting Closer
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- Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug, Intepirdine, Disappoints in Study
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- Drug to treat Alzheimer’s is Ranked Highest
- Patients Often Fail to Adhere to Alzheimer’s Drug Schedules
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- Pharmacists Can Aid in Alzheimer’s Care
- Two-Drug Combo May Ease the Agitation of Alzheimer’s
- Are New, More Effective Alzheimer’s Drugs on the Horizon?
- Insulin Nasal Spray Shows Promise as Alzheimer’s Treatment
- Inflammation Holds Clues to Alzheimer’s Progression, and Possible Treatment
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- Fitness in Midlife Tied to Lower Dementia Risk in Old Age
- Doctor’s Orders: Exercise for the Sake of Your Brain
- Positive Beliefs About Aging May Help Fend Off Alzheimer’s
- Brain Training May Help to Ward Off Dementia
- How Art Can Aid People With Alzheimer’s
- Music Can Be a Balm for People With Alzheimer’s Disease
- Crossword Puzzles May Help Keep the Brain Young
- 7 Steps for Optimal Brain Health
- Men, Women and Alzheimer’s Risk
- Exercise Vigorously and Often to Boost Brain Health
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- Combining Care Program With Medication Reduces Alzheimer’s Symptoms By 750%
- Fisher Center Scientists make two new Significant Discoveries in the battle against Alzheimer’s
- Dementia Rates Are Slowing, but Alzheimer’s Cases Continue to Rise
- Fisher Center Scientists Create a Novel Imaging Technology Allowing the 3D Visualization of Brain Defects That Cause Alzheimer’s Disease
- Negative Beliefs About Aging Could Prime the Brain for Alzheimer’s
- Recognizing Faces Is a Challenge for Those With Alzheimer’s
- Fisher Center Scientists Discover Pathway That may Lead to Alzheimer’s Disease
- Brain Scans Move Closer to Early Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
- Can Vitamin E Slow Alzheimer’s Decline?
- World Alzheimer’s Month
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- The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Earns Coveted 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator for the 7th Consecutive Year
- Hear Kent Karosen, President and CEO of the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, describe his new book and the power of art therapy
- Fisher Center Scientists link a Mutation That Protects Against the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Newly Inducted Into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Shaquille O’Neal, Joins the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation to Raise Funds for Groundbreaking Research in the Quest for a Cure
- Pat Summitt, legendary women’s basketball coach, dies at 64
- Celebrating the life of Nancy Reagan for her Impact on the Fight to end Alzheimer’s
- WRNN Interview
- Fisher Center’s 20th Anniversary Celebration and recent activities
- Featured on NASDAQ’s Billboard
- Online Chat on Reddit.com with Nobel Laureate Dr. Paul Greengard
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Snoezelen Rooms May Offer Benefits for those with Dementia
January 2, 2004
A room filled with soft colored lights, gentle music, pleasing aromas, and plush pillows doesn’t sound like the latest in high-tech medicine. But a growing number of health professionals, caregivers, and people with Alzheimer’s disease have come to find that this fun and peaceful approach to stimulating the senses can ease the agitation, wandering, and other disturbing symptoms that so commonly afflict those with serious dementia.
The treatment, called Snoezelen (pronounced “SNOO-ze-len”) therapy, comes from Europe, where the concept originated. It is named to evoke the sense of dozing and lazy relaxation that characterizes a visit to the rooms. A growing number of facilities worldwide are now offering the treatment.
More than 500 Snoezelen rooms have opened up in the U.S. The peaceful chambers, with glowing bubble tubes and the sights and sounds of a rain forest, complete with waterfalls, a beach scene, with simulated sunrise, or a star-filled trip to outer space, are used to provide relief for everything from dementia to head injuries.
Recipients range from children with nervous system disabilities to seniors in the late stages of Alzheimer’s. Sunrise Senior Living, which owns a chain of senior living centers, is among a growing group of companies that offer the treatment.
Relief for ‘Sundowners’
Staff and families report that a visit to the rooms, for an hour or so a few times a week or as needed, can in some cases provide dramatic relief. The treatment may be particularly useful to ease ‘sundowning,’ a common occurrence among Alzheimer’s victims who reside long-term-care facilities. Such patients are prone to suffer from aggressiveness late in the day, as the sun goes down, when they may think it is time to “go home.” A strategically timed visit to a Snoezelen room during those hours can dramatically ease agitation and upset among such residents.
Only a handful of trials have looked at whether the therapy provides true benefits for people suffering from Alzheimer’s. Although the results were inconclusive, the trend was positive. After a Snoezelen session, people with dementia were less anxious, apathetic and restless. They also had fewer outbursts and created fewer disturbances. Additional studies are in progress.
Despite a lack of scientific proof, many experts remain convinced that the rooms are a useful addition to any facility. Staff and residents alike both seem to enjoy the relaxing and peaceful settings. Furthermore, numerous reports indicate that paying attention to the way a nursing home or other long-term-facility is designed can make a big difference in the quality of life for someone with dementia.
Caregivers, too, report that they can often dramatically ease the burden of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s at home by making simple changes to surroundings.
Placing a spouse, parent or other loved one in a nursing home or assisted-living facility is never an easy choice. Many factors come into play when providing appropriate care, including selecting the right medications and providing appropriate behavioral therapy and counseling. Taking design issues into consideration — including the availability of a Snoezelen room — may be an important factor when choosing an appropriate long-term care facility as well.
By www.ALZinfo.org. The Alzheimer’s Information Site. Reviewed by Samuel E. Gandy, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board, Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation.