Home-based Massage by Caregivers for Dementia

Effects of Manual Massage on Improving Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia and Sense of Burden Among Caregivers

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of manual massage on improving behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and sense of burden among caregivers.

A total of 40 patients with dementia and their family caregivers will be included and randomly allocated to experiment (n=20) or control group (n=20). The experiment and control group will receive whole body manual massage and placebo intervention (30 minutes once per week for 8 continuous weeks), respectively.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Over 65 years old, diagnosed with dementia, agitation or depression, irregular massage and exercise habits.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Those who have open wounds, inflammation, infection, burns and scalds, artificial blood vessels in the hands, or diagnosed as inappropriate for massage in the near future, the severity of symptoms affects the study participants.