FAMILY-THERAPY AND DEMENTIA - REVIEW AND CLINICAL-EXPERIENCE

Family therapy techniques have, until recently, had little impact on t he development of old age psychiatry and the services provided. The li terature on family therapy in relation to people with dementia and the ir families is reviewed and illustrated with results from a study of f amilies coping with dementia who attended the York House Family Clinic . Similar therapeutic techniques were used with families coping with d ementia as with those coping with other mental illnesses in later life , but some differences were found in the areas of discussion during se ssions. Families coping with dementia were seen for fewer sessions, bu t more family members were present per session and sons and daughters- in-law were more likely to attend. The literature and various hypothes es which might explain these differences are presented and discussed. Further work in this area is needed, but our findings suggest that fam ily therapy can be useful in work with dementia sufferers and their fa milies, and can be offered within an old age psychiatry service.