One of the many goals of the Jewish Home Family is to provide support for our families, as well as our staff, especially those who are faced with the challenge of caring for residents or family members dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias. At the last meeting of our Seiden Family Committee, the question was raised as to what new Alzheimer’s disease research is being conducted and if it might offer hope for the future of those suffering with the disease. We reached out to the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research and on February 27th, Dr. Antero Sarreal, III, MD, Research Scientist, gave a very informative presentation to our families outlining research and clinical trials now being conducted there in the area of dementia and depression in the elderly.
An added benefit to the meeting of our two organizations was that our own Maryann Adams, Director of Rehabilitation Services, is now collaborating with Dr. Sarreal on a research proposal on the subject matter — “The Emotional and Physical Response to Snoezelen Therapy in Persons with Dementia in a Long Term Care Facility: A Therapeutic Approach.” Snoezelen Therapy, originally developed in the Netherlands in the 1970s, is a concept of controlled sensory input designed to promote choice, interaction and relationship building through stimulation of the senses. The therapy promotes changes in arousal levels and affects drive and motivation through changes in neurochemistry. The hope is that this study will prove that this type of therapy is beneficial to nursing home residents who have dementia and that it will have a positive impact on the residents’ relationships with people and situations in their environment.
We are pleased to be continuing this relationship with the Nathan Kline Institute. For more information about the research and clinical trials conducted at the Institute, visit their website at rfmh.org.