MHM Magazine

Issue 5 | 2021 | MENTALHEALTHMATTERS | 11 MHM true in people with Alzheimer’s and dementia who struggle to interpret the world and engage with it. Being unable to communicate is frustrating and often frightening. This may express itself in outbursts of anger, tantrums, or sulking. Always maintain calm, familiar and relaxed environment. We all experience our environment through texture, smell, sound, taste and sight. The senses are critical to people with Alzheimer’s but it’s important to remember that their sensory experiences are not the same as ours. Personal history makes a big impact – while one person might associate the smell of popcorn with fun and laughter, someone else may associate the smell with fear or punishment. Ultimately, it’s not about precision or ‘right answers’: • Be creative • Bend the rules • Create joy in the moment • Get silly • Laugh DEMENTIA AND HORSE THERAPY BY YOLANDA STEYN (COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH THERAPIST) “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a person.” (Winston Churchill) Music, rhythm and love are the last things people with dementia lose. Equine therapy for people with dementia uses horses and nature to positively influence people’s lives. Horses don’t have a linked brain so they don’t make emotional or judgemental decisions. Horses pick up subconscious signals and body language - they unconditionally give people the support they need. For example, horses mimic human breathing patterns – if someone is breathing too fast or shallow, horses respond with an audible snort to readjust those breathing patterns. The Equine Therapy for Dementia programme takes place over six weeks in Sterkfontein, Krugersdorp. Through exercises like rhythm and bathing of the horses, people suffering from dementia regain their dignity, sense of belonging and engagement, achievement, and hope. Touch is healing and everyone has a need for that physical connection - especially now. Horses give us signals: • Lowered heads show relaxation • Eating fast is a sign of distress • Blinking shows happiness • Yawning is good for all of us _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Alzheimer’s SA was founded in 1985 as a Non-Profit Organisation dedicated to providing support for families and individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The organisation strives to advocate on their behalf and to improve the quality of life of people and their carers. Contact Alzheimer’s SA on 011 792 2511 or email info@alzheimers.org.za or visit https://alzheimers.org.za .