Dementia/Laughter(Humour) Therapy?

Dearth

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May 27, 2005
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I am particularly interested in laughter therapy and have set up a website on such (which gives research/experience based info. on the use of laughter as a therapeutic tool... including info I have been given permission to use by Dr. Hunter 'Patch' Adams who I have been in correspondence with).

Now, I know that there MUST be some info. re: the use of this re: Alzheimer's/Dementia care, but I cannot find any!

I generally use this kind of therapy on a day to day basis in and out of work and have done for a long time... but if anyone can PLEASE give me any help re: sites/resources/articles etc. I'd be most appreciative, as I would like to investigate this further... I've been to day centres and worked on wards where I've had many a good laugh WITH patients/clients/service users and I think a great time's been had by all - this is something I would like to continue to do.

Any help gratefully appreciated.

I'm NOT going to put a link to me site here at this point... I'm not here to spam my own interests I assure you... but I will put the link in later if any responses necessitate it.

For now, I'm looking forward to any replies that can help.

Thanks in advance... and thank you to all who take the time in reading this.

:)

N.
 

mailife49

Registered User
Oct 21, 2004
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uk
Laughter therapy

I really was interested in your idea of laughter being therapeutic for vascular dementia `patients........I know for a fact that my mother direly needs laughter in her life,,,,,,,,,,,, she lived off that!! and she gave as good or more back!!

My mother is so intelligent but mini-stroke after mini-stroke, she is being robbed of all her faculties........she no longer looks forward to that cup of tea and a laugh and that hurts me so much..... ç

She is in a NH (only 17 inmates) and she is declining unfortunately, in weight and in spirit............ I wish I could sneak into her bed at night and cuddle up to her, as she always loved company.......always.....I'm sick of thos e people who talk a bout drugs and all that (well we all do, as there's no alternative......) but one(!!) LAUGHTER ....................... my beautiful mother who would laugh at the drop of a ........... anyway good idea - but don't push it - laughter in the Two Ronnies style would be fine / open all hours kind of thing.........oooooooh, Gladis......
it's a full moon tonite?????

anyway ,
must be off,
my mother was the life and soul of the party,
and now the party's almost over,
and I want her to have a smile on her face at least be4 she goes.......

mailife49
 

daughter

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Mar 16, 2005
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I think laughter therapy sounds good, my only reservation is if someone tries to make people join in when they don't want to or behaves in a patronising manner.

My Dad was always jolly, he would make people laugh and entertained his grandchildren, playing games etc. Today, of course, is a different story but, on occasions, there are still glimmers of his humour shinning through against adversity.

I think that when Mum and I, or others around him, are having fun it triggers Dad too (I guess laughter really is contagious). When he's in the right mood, something appears to 'click' in place and engages Dad's thought processes, resulting in him seeing the funny side. There is no outburst of laughter, as such, but just a snigger is enough to make me think he's feeling happy for a moment.

I wish I had the recipe, I'd bottle it and sell it! Good luck!
 

Dearth

Registered User
May 27, 2005
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52
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daughter said:
I think laughter therapy sounds good, my only reservation is if someone tries to make people join in when they don't want to or behaves in a patronising manner.

I fully agree with you there!

Any kind of therapy is only useful I reckon if there's enjopyment to be had from it or at least it serves a purpose other than to pass time on...

Example... I've spent many hours with folk in various activities including bingo, dominoes and various arts and games therapies and I enjoy joining in...

But when it comes to a 'singsong' - nope, that's not really me...

Now, if someone tried to make me join in, they'd soon wish they hadn't!

As to laughter though... not just about joke telling - shared humour is something I am interested in too.

Anyhow, I will put the link in so you can see more of what I'm on about... as I said though, it's not merely me advertising myself here as I'm not interested in 'making a name for myself' - I just like sharing info. that might be useful - my whole reason for setting up the thing in the first place (I make no money whatsoever from it, and am happy with that).

Laughter Therapy Site





and please let me know folks if you want any info or any way in which I could help...

daughter and mailife49.... thank you very much for sharing the info about your Father and Mother respectively - very kind of you to give me some insight into your own experiences.

My best wishes to you.

Neil.