Pilot study to test the effectiveness of Healing Touch on agitation in people with dementia

Wang KL, Hermann C.
Northern Arizona Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs, Prescott, USA.

A pilot study was conducted to investigate the effects of Healing Touch (HT) on agitation in persons with dementia. Because of the restricted availability of patients, the main purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of HT on dementia patients who demonstrated similar high levels of agitation as measured by the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory. Results indicated that agitation levels were significantly lowered and that HT is worthy of further study.