Abstract
Individuals with dementia experience many symptoms as the illness progress. Some of the common symptoms of dementia are memory loss, depression, anxiety, agitation, and aggression. Non-pharmacological interventions can help alleviate the common symptoms of dementia. Some of these interventions include therapies, relaxation techniques, and creative activities. This systematic review was designed to explore the research question: What are the benefits for non-pharmacological interventions for individuals with dementia? The systematic review used peer-reviewed articles that were published in the last eight years. The databases that were used in the review were PsychINFO, PubMed, and the search terms that were used were Alzheimer’s disease, non-pharmacological treatment options, non-pharmacological, nonpharmacological, Alzheimer’s disease & music therapy, Alzheimer’s disease & Art Therapy, Dementia, and Therapies, benefits of music therapy. Out of the articles that were found, 14 articles satisfied the inclusion criteria and were used in the final review. There were three themes found in the research articles for the study; 1) therapies, 2) relaxation technique, and 3) creative activities. The research found that there were several benefits for the use of non-pharmacological interventions for individuals with dementia.