ABSTRACT
The use of a range of complementary therapies with people with dementia appears to have increased. This may in part reflect the increasing use of complementary therapies by the general public as well as the shift in focus to a more holistic approach to the care of people with dementia. An increase in mobility, either in general or of particular joints such as in the hands, was most frequently said to be the result of massage and aromatherapy. This outcome was particularly reported by physiotherapists who are using complementary therapies as part of a treatment plan. Complementary therapies may be natural but the notion that natural equates with harmless is misleading and dangerous; the natural world abounds with toxic substances. Herbal preparations, including traditional remedies, may cause allergic, toxic or other reactions. Even if an intervention has been found to be safe and effective, personal preference has to be taken into account; complementary therapies are not liked by everyone.
