 Alzheimer's Project
Brief
by Barbara Derrick, PhD
ABC Holistic Wellness Foundation
July 11, 2007
An Alzheimer’s unit in Mattie C. Hall Health Care Center
in Aiken, SC used our protocol in the use of Suggestive Therapy
for the Relief of Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms beginning
on May 1, 2004. Whereas, taped affirmations have been used successfully
in several major medical centers no other facility has used affirmation
designed especially for Alzheimer’s patients.
The results
of our study were positive. It is therefore our hope that we can
replicate this study in a Nursing and/or Rehabilitation Center.
Methodology:
A taped affirmation, played as the patient prepared for sleep,
was used with a pillow speaker. The affirmation was reaped during
the night until it was manually turned off in the morning. An experimental
group heard the message. The message was withheld from a control
group.
The program was begun after an in-service session was given to
the entire staff. A second message was designed for use with the
staff during their break periods. An experimental group heard the
message, a control group did not.
Permission and releases were obtained from families of those in
the study. Results:
1. The First Three Months: The results of the first three months
netted improvements in all behavioral areas with the experimental
group. The control group lost ground in their battle with the disease
or showed no progress.
2. The Second Three Months: The second three months the original
control group was given the experimental group’s protocol.
The original experimental group continued to improve or to maintain
their higher level of functioning. The old control group who had
not received the protocol for the first three months did not progress
as rapidly as the first experimental group but there was some improvement
in behavior, cooperation and weight gain.
3. An Unexpected By-product: A spectacular side effect of the
Suggestive Therapy protocol was the impact on staff absenteeism.
Sick call-ins from the staff of 200 caregivers at the center averaged
32.5% for September 2004. On the ward with the experimental group
in six months absenteeism had dropped to 3.0%.
Barbara Derrick, PhD
A.C. Holler, Jr. DMin
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