How is dementia treated?
Medicines may slow down dementia, but they don't cure it. They may help improve mental function, mood, or behavior.
Palliative care
Palliative care is a kind of care for people who have a serious illness. It's different from care to cure the illness. Its goal is to improve a person's quality of life—not just in body but also in mind and spirit.
Care may include:
- Tips to help the person be independent and manage daily life as long as possible.
- Medicine. While medicines can't cure dementia, they may help improve mental function, mood, or behavior.
- Support and counseling. A diagnosis of dementia can create feelings of anger, fear, and anxiety. A person in the early stage of the illness should seek emotional support from family, friends, and perhaps a counselor experienced in working with people who have dementia.
Treatment as dementia gets worse
The goals of ongoing treatment for dementia are to keep the person safely at home for as long as possible and to provide support and guidance to the caregivers.
The person will need routine follow-up visits every 3 to 6 months. The doctor will monitor medicines and the person's level of functioning.
At some point, the family may have to think about placing the person in a care facility that has a dementia unit.
