I read this this the other day and it sort of validated something that Gordo and I did daily ... as I'm a HUGE proponent of "Laughter Therapy"! It's just good for the soul.
Laughter May Be as Effective as Meds in Dementia
Treatment
When it comes to dementia, a
big belly laugh may be the best medicine. New research indicates that laughter
may be just as effective as antipsychotic medications for reducing anxiety in
elderly people with dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease and other
dementias have no truly effective treatments, a fact that has compelled experts
and laymen alike to seek alternative ways of treating these diseases.
A recent report, aptly named
the SMILE study, was conducted by a group of Australian researchers, who set
out to discover whether humor could improve the lives of people living with
dementia.
Over the course of three years,
humor therapists were tasked with getting 400 dementia-stricken people to
giggle more often. Their efforts produced an impressive result: a 20 percent
reduction in anxiety – the same amount as a typical antipsychotic medication,
according to lead researcher, Lee-Fay Low.
Since agitation and anxiety are often the root causes of
outbursts and wandering in people with dementia, being able to reduce these
feelings would have a positive impact on the lives of those with the disease
and their family members.
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