Massage Calms Agitation in Dementia Patients

For caregivers of elderly dementia patients, agitation (disruptive vocalizing, restlessness) add significantly to the burden of care. Massage therapy can help reduce occurrences of agitation, which helps maintain a calm atmosphere in residential elderly care settings. Therapeutic touch decreases levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, which in turn reduces agitation behaviors. Systematic reviews of research studies show massage is a valuable, non-drug intervention for calming agitated dementia patients.  For more information on the benefits of massage therapy, please visit the Kiel Unger Massage Therapy website.