Non-pharmacological management of Alzheimer's disease, a qualitative study in Mauritius

Introduction The major form of dementia is Alzheimer disease (AD). In Mauritius it was estimated in 2015 that around 10,000 persons had Alzheimer disease from Alzheimer disease International report . This represent 16 percent of the total population and it is expected to rise. Therefore, apart from pharmacological therapies, non pharmacological treatment (NPT) which can improve cognitive performance such as cognitive training, occupational therapy, reminiscence therapy, are being highly investigated. Aim and objective To determine the outcome(s) and to highlight the effective strategies in the management of Alzheimer Disease in Mauritius using NPT. Information obtained from this research will add to the current knowledge and expansion. Materials and methods: The only NGO in Mauritius is Alzheimer Association, from where the persons with AD were recruited. Non-interventional methods of qualitative study involving interviews of person with AD, lasting 30 to 45 minutes (audio recorded) were audio-recorded. An informed consent from the carer or patient relative prior to starting was ensured. Both semi-structured interviews and open-ended questions were used, relating to NPT. Thematic analysis in qualitative research, followed by coding and decoding raw data. Similar categories of data were grouped and themes emerged. Results In-depth responses of the person with AD related with their experiences, perceptions, opinions, feelings, and knowledge. Qualitative study (n=20) emerged with 6 main themes. Among these, dependency on family identified as an important theme. It has also been associated as an important form of cognitive and functional engagement for person with AD. Discussion Non-pharmacological interventions has an important role to prolong the active age of older individuals, as well as to maintain quality of life. Conclusion There is still a greater demand on the market for non pharmacological interventions and Mauritius should plan and devise national guidelines to deal with this unmet proportion of elderly so as to curb for future health equality and stability. Keywords Alzheimer disease, Non-pharmacological Treatment, Cognitive training, Occupational therapy, Elderly people