Hope for Alzheimer's Disease Patients

While a complete cure for Alzheimer’s disease isn’t available yet, there are treatments that can help slow symptom progression and enhance quality of life.

Non-drug therapies can significantly benefit individuals with dementia and their caregivers.

Cognitive rehabilitation involves targeted training to sustain or enhance memory and concentration skills.

Where to Find Cognitive Rehabilitation

1.  Hospitals and Medical Centers:

•  Many large hospitals with neurology or rehabilitation departments offer CRT. These programs often involve multidisciplinary teams, including neuropsychologists, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists, who create individualized plans to improve cognitive functions like memory, attention, and problem-solving.

•  Examples include:

•  Hackensack Meridian Health (New Jersey): Offers comprehensive CRT for brain injuries and neurological disorders, focusing on cognitive, physical, and emotional recovery.

•  Mount Sinai (New York): Utilizes web-based technologies like Neuron Up for personalized neurorehabilitation, targeting cognitive deficits such as memory and executive functions.

•  UPMC Rehabilitation Institute (Pennsylvania): Provides tailored CRT for traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries, emphasizing family involvement.

2.  Specialized Rehabilitation Centers:

•  Dedicated rehabilitation facilities focus on brain injury or neurological recovery, offering both inpatient and outpatient CRT.

•  Spaulding Rehabilitation (Massachusetts): Known for its brain injury rehabilitation program, Spaulding offers CRT with a team of therapists and access to advanced treatments. Multiple locations, such as Boston and Cape Cod, provide outpatient care.

•  Barrow Neurological Institute (Phoenix, Arizona): A leader in neuro-rehabilitation, offering CRT for brain injuries and neurological diseases, with additional support like peer mentorship.

•  NeuroRestorative: Operates nationwide with residential and outpatient programs for brain and spinal cord injuries, focusing on skill-building and recovery.

3.  Outpatient Clinics and Neuropsychology Practices:

•  Smaller clinics, often led by neuropsychologists or therapists, provide CRT for conditions like dementia or concussion-related cognitive deficits.

•  Clinical Neuropsychology Associates (Philadelphia, PA, and Voorhees, NJ): Offers CRT for stroke, dementia, and traumatic brain injury, focusing on compensatory strategies and functional improvement.

•  Kaizen Brain Center: Uses evidence-based CRT to improve cognitive and behavioral functioning, emphasizing individualized care.

4.  University-Affiliated Programs:

•  Academic medical centers often combine CRT with research and advanced therapies.

•  UR Medicine (Rochester, NY): The Integrative Cognitive Rehabilitation Program provides multidisciplinary evaluations and tailored treatment plans, involving caregivers in goal-setting.

•  Johns Hopkins (Baltimore, MD): Offers holistic CRT with certified specialists for neurological conditions, incorporating advanced techniques like noninvasive brain stimulation.

•  UW Medical Center - Montlake (Seattle, WA): Provides outpatient CRT for brain injuries, focusing on independence and return to work or school.

5.  Community and Day Programs:

•  Some centers offer structured day programs for intensive CRT, ideal for those with moderate to severe cognitive impairments.

•  NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation (New York): Features a Brain Injury Day Treatment Program for ages 18-70, combining cognitive and counseling sessions, with options for video visits.

•  Northwestern Medicine (Chicago, IL): Offers day rehabilitation in Wheaton and Crystal Lake, with personalized therapy plans for cognitive and functional recovery.

How to Find CRT Near You

👁️‍🗨️ Consult Your Doctor:

Ask your primary care physician or neurologist for a referral to a CRT program or specialist, such as a neuropsychologist or speech-language pathologist. Many programs, like those at Brooks Rehabilitation, require a physician referral.

Search Online: Use terms like “cognitive rehabilitation therapy near [your city]” on hospital or clinic websites. For example, Cleveland Clinic and Atrium Health have location finders for their rehabilitation services.

•  Contact Rehabilitation Networks: Organizations like NeuroRestorative or Kessler Rehabilitation Center have multiple locations and can guide you to nearby facilities.

•  Check Insurance Coverage: Since some programs (e.g., UR Medicine) may involve additional costs, verify with your insurance provider what CRT services are covered.

•  Explore Support Groups: Brain injury or dementia support groups often provide recommendations for local CRT programs. Atrium Health, for instance, offers peer mentorship and family support groups.

Additional Considerations

•  Tailored Programs: CRT is most effective when individualized, addressing specific deficits like memory or attention. Programs like Mount Sinai’s use digital platforms to customize therapy.

•  Multidisciplinary Approach: Look for programs with diverse specialists (e.g., occupational therapists, speech therapists) to address cognitive, physical, and emotional needs. Spaulding Rehabilitation exemplifies this approach.

•  Caregiver Involvement: Many programs, such as UPMC and UR Medicine, encourage family participation to support recovery and home adjustments.

•  Availability: Some centers, like Atlantic Health, have specific hours (e.g., Monday-Thursday 7:00 AM-7:00 PM, Friday 7:00 AM-5:00 PM), so check schedules when booking.

Exercise therapy not only supports physical health but may also help slow cognitive decline.

I have been training at the gym for seven years and have mastered various exercises, which I now incorporate into therapy sessions with my patients. If you have questions about proper exercise techniques or need guidance, please contact my gym, at The EDGE Fitness Clubs. Patients can also receive private instruction tailored to their needs.

And I’ve made significant changes to her diet and started going to the gym, which has improved her fitness and increased her appetite. Based on this experience, I believe there is a strong connection between the amount of food we consume and the level of exercise we engage in.

Music therapy, such as listening to or singing music, promotes relaxation and emotional well-being.

Environmental adjustments focus on creating a safe, supportive setting for the individual while providing resources for caregivers.

Early detection and timely intervention can slow the progression of symptoms.

Lifestyle changes, including a nutritious diet, regular moderate exercise, and sufficient sleep, may contribute to delaying dementia progression.

Family support is essential, emphasizing open communication with the individual and robust support for caregivers.

For more information on diet and exercise, please refer to my previous blog posts.