Snoezelen
Unlike most therapies for Alzheimer's disease, which tend to zero in on treating what's wrong with a patient, Snoezelen is an innovated therapy which focuses on a patient's strengths, CBS 2's Paul Moniz reports.
Snoezelen is a form of sensory stimulation for dementia patients, which uses light and sound to break through the dementia barrier, bolstering their abilities to see, hear, touch and smell.
The treatment involves listening to a patient's music of choice and observing a variety of bright lights with psychedelic shapes and textures in a small, dark room. There are water lamps, a disco ball, games, even touch and aromatherapy, which are all directed by a trained therapist with input from the patient.
Snoezelen was first developed in Holland and is used in several European countries.
Psychologist Jason Staal, who works at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan, is aggressively trying to introduce Snoezelen in the United States.
He says too often dementia patients are heavily medicated to control outbursts but lack any meaningful stimulation.
"The person actually gets worse," Dr. Staal contends. "They get more confused and more agitated and they start to really withdraw more into a kind of quiet state where they are very hard to reach."
But studies show Snoezelin can bring patients out, making them more alert and talkative in the short term and less agitated in the long-term.
No one suggests Snozelen can cure dementia but it's giving patients and their families hope that in their final days, they can still find joy.
Right now, Beth Israel is one of the only American hospitals that offers Snoezelen. Most nursing homes don't have Snoezelen therapy.
Dr. Staal says a modified Snoezelen room can be set up for just a few thousand dollars, even in someone's home.
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