**Abstract**

Caring for a patient with dementia is challenging, as we cannot cure Alzheimer's disease but only slow its progress. In the presented chapter, we offer non-pharmacological approaches for influencing the patient's behaviour, actions and emotions, and to arouse their interest and motivation, while preserving the highest quality of life. In the past, many experts have looked at specific approaches to dementia patients and devoted their entire professional lives to senior citizens. Our aim is to offer an overview of the most frequently used therapeutic approaches with dementia patients and use practical demonstrations to reinvigorate the theoretical basis. At the end of the chapter we deal with the burden on the carer in the family environment.

**Keywords:** Alzheimer's disease, memory, non-pharmacological, treatment, carer

### **1. Introduction**

With the increasing number of seniors, the number of newly diagnosed patients with dementia syndrome, including Alzheimer's disease, is rising. At the same time, the costs of treatment are increasing. This has led experts to focus on less costly, non-pharmacological treatment of dementia.

Examining non-pharmacological approaches to patients with dementia and their family carers does not have such a long tradition or history as the scientific examination of pharmacological approaches. Certainly, scientists have always taken it as given that besides pharmacotherapy, it is useful to activate, reassure, adapt the environment and other procedures experienced by non-medical staff in particular. These procedures have long been considered appropriate and useful, but not too stimulating or interesting for further scientific research. However, in the last decade, work has appeared examining non-pharmacological approaches to dementia patients and their family members [1].

The goal of non-pharmacological treatment is to maintain or improve the level of gross and fine motor skills, walking, self-sufficiency and cognitive functions. At the same time, another goal is to meaningfully fill free time and to influence the symptoms of dementia and activities of daily life, to improve verbal and non-verbal communication between the sufferer and their relative or nurse….

The activities we choose must be appropriate to the condition of the sufferer. There are multiple non-pharmacological approaches; the therapist selects from a spectrum of options, taking into account the age of the patient, the stage of the disease, the gender, therefore it is necessary to emphasize the individual approach.

Activities should be comprehensive, adequately influence the mental and physical aspects and the psychosocial contacts. Activities should always promote the patient's strengths. It is important to have a familiar environment for the patient. The process of the activities themselves is important. An activity that does not come off successfully does not mean a loss. Treatment of this type should become a regular part of the daily regimen of a patient with dementia [2].

Non-pharmacological approaches to dementia management focus on the following problem areas:


The aim of our work is to summarize current theoretical knowledge about nonpharmacological approaches with patients with Alzheimer's disease and to illustrate examples of the implementation of specific approaches. When formulating the theoretical basis, we used the available specialist and scientific publications. The practical examples are the result of qualitative research aimed at verifying activation approaches for Alzheimer's disease patients.

Caring for a patient with Alzheimer's disease requires that we recognize the basic principles and recommendations for care.
