With so many options for treating dementia, from innovative dementia therapies like stem cell therapy to traditional options like occupational therapy, it can be hard to know which treatment is right. However, there is no “right” approach, as dementia is best treated when multiple treatment methods are combined.
Keep reading to learn what a multidisciplinary approach is, how it is particularly helpful for dementia patients, and the challenges and future perspectives of this approach.
Understanding Multidisciplinary Approaches
Dementia is a complex disease, and while stem cell therapy can help address the physiological causes of dementia, a multidisciplinary approach can improve recovery.
A multidisciplinary approach means that a treatment plan includes various healthcare professionals and dementia therapies to treat dementia holistically.
The goal is to treat a patient on a physical, cognitive, emotional and social level.
Benefits of a Multidisciplinary Approach in Stem Cell Therapy for Dementia
Stem cell therapy can treat the underlying nerve damage in dementia patients because stem cells travel to the site of damaged tissue and promote the growth of new neurons. Stem cell therapy can improve cognitive function and slow down or, in some cases, even reverse dementia
However, dementia stem cell treatment only provides one aspect of healing. Whether a patient has late-stage dementia or is just noticing the early signs of dementia, people with dementia need support in their everyday lives, including:
- cognitive training
- emotional support
- social support
- lifestyle guidance
All of these treatments used together to enhance the effectiveness of stem cell therapy.
The advantage of a multidisciplinary approach is that the patient gets expert care in each area. For example, instead of a stem cell clinic advising a patient on communication techniques, occupational therapists can give patients intensive support to improve their communication skills.
Tackling dementia from all angles increases the chances that a dementia patient will recover and multiple approaches increase the effectiveness of each other. For example, cognitive training is more effective when combined with the cognitive improvements provided by stem cell therapy.
Challenges in Implementing Multidisciplinary Approaches
Different perspectives
One challenge of implementing multidisciplinary approaches is that different professionals or organizations have different values and practices. Different perspectives can obstruct effective treatment and can also cause distress in patients.
Coordination
Coordinating treatment plans, treatment strategies and appointments across several professionals and organizations can be challenging if clear communication channels aren’t established.
Accessibility
Multidisciplinary approaches require significant resources to be effective, therefore, thorough resource planning and allocation are necessary for this approach to be widely accessible. If the patient has to pay for their treatment, then a multidisciplinary approach might be inaccessible to them.
Strategies to Enhance Multidisciplinary Collaboration
Training and education are the key to enhancing coordination across healthcare organizations. Each professional must learn about the roles of other healthcare professionals and understand how they must work together. Common values and goals can help professionals work together more efficiently.
Communication of information across departments is crucial for the success of a multidisciplinary treatment plan, and technology can help facilitate this flow of information. For example, healthcare professionals can use project management software to openly share information with all team members.
Implementing feedback mechanisms is also needed since feedback allows professionals to understand their mistakes. Once a communication or coordination problem is identified, it can be fixed.
Future Perspectives
With the increasing popularity of innovative treatments like stem cell therapy, more healthcare professionals involved in multidisciplinary treatment plans must learn about the mechanisms, benefits and treatments of such methods.
Technology will play an increased role in multidisciplinary approaches since technology can streamline resource allocation, organization and communication across healthcare professionals and organizations.
There must also be increased emphasis on using and understanding healthcare organization technology. Healthcare professionals must learn how to use technology to streamline communication and organize patient care with professionals in other locations.
In conclusion
Whether your loved one has late-stage dementia or you’ve just noticed the early signs of dementia, a multidisciplinary approach can be an effective treatment. Swiss Medica, for instance, offers stem cell therapy that can treat the underlying nerve damage that causes dementia, while emotional and cognitive therapies can support patients in their everyday lives.
There are some challenges to this approach, like establishing clear communication among healthcare professionals and ensuring care is accessible to everyone. Technology has the potential to solve these issues if healthcare professionals can learn how to use technology to improve collaboration during treatment.
