parkinsons-2016_posters-accepted-abstracts

5 / 20

Notes:
Page 55
Parkinsons 2016
December 05-07, 2016
Volume 6 Issue 6(Suppl) J Alzheimers Dis Parkinsonism
ISSN: 2161-0460 JADP, an open access journal
conferenceseries .com
December 05-07, 2016 Phoenix, USA
2nd International Conference on
Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorders
Helen Senderovich et al., J Alzheimers Dis Parkinsonism 2016, 6:6(Suppl)
Role of Therapeutic Touch in the management of responsive behavior in patients with dementia.
Helen Senderovich1,2, 3,4,5 and Ananthavalli Kumarappah 4,5
1Baycrest, Toronto, Canada
2Department Family and Community Medicine
3Division of Palliative Care
4Faculty of Medicine
5University of Toronto, Canada
Introduction: There was an estimated 36.5 million individuals worldwide living with dementia in 2010 as per World Health
Organization. In addition to deficits in cognitive domains, responsive behaviours in dementia (RBD) greatly impact the
quality-of-life of individuals with dementia and greatly increase caregiver burden. Current treatment modalities are not
always effective, and thus non-pharmacological approaches along with careful use of pharmacological therapies should be
considered in the management of RBD. Therapeutic Touch (TT) is a simple procedure that only requires a pair of hands and a
compassionate mind. TT allows for clear and respectful communication with the patient and helps to avoid confrontation by
providing stimulation and structure.
Objective: To review the publications that evaluate the use of TT in the management of RBD.
Methods: We searched PubMed for ‘Therapeutic Touch’ and “Dementia’. We limited our inclusion to reviews and studies
published in the last 10 years. We excluded articles in languages other than English and studies for which no outcomes were
reported.
Results: Four of the five examined studies suggest that Therapeutic Touch reduces restless behaviours found in dementia.
However, there are limitations to these studies including methodological variability and small sample sizes.
Conclusions: TT is garnering attention for its potential role in ameliorating RBD in patients suffering from different stages
of dementia and many are looking into using TT in palliative care settings. It can be used in inpatient and outpatient settings.
However, at this time, there is insufficient data and further studies need to be done before definite conclusions can be drawn.
Biography
Helen Senderovich is a physician at Baycrest Health Science System with practice focused on Palliative Care, Pain Medicine and Geriatrics. She is an Assistant
professor at the Department of Family and Community Medicine, and Division of Palliative Care at the University of Toronto who actively involved teaching medical
students and residents. She has a broad international experience and a solid research background. Her research was accepted nationally and internationally. She is
an author of multiple manuscripts focused on geriatrics, patient’s centered care, ethical and legal aspect of doctor patient relationship, palliative and end-of-life care.