Dr. Laura O'Philbin:

Yes. We think cognitive stimulation therapy is very important. That is one of the most popular psychosocial treatments for people living with dementia. It also really depends on the person. Some people benefit quite a lot from reminiscence therapy, which is what my PhD was on. Even things like counselling, psychotherapeutic support and interventions can be transformative because they can help to reduce anxiety and stressful feelings that can sometimes impact the symptoms that a person is experiencing. In the Alzheimer Society of Ireland we say that we need to look at the person as a whole and see what they are interested in. In terms of psychosocial interventions, cognitive stimulation therapy is really important and so are exercise-based interventions. We have an ExWell programme in several hospitals, which is run by the HSE.