Complementary therapies
Dementia information
To help manage some common symptoms of dementia like depression, anxiety, agitation or aggression, a non-drug therapy may be offered.
The type of therapy will depend on local availability and the individual’s preference, and might include:
- cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT)
- aromatherapy
- music therapy, singing groups or dancing
- animal-assisted therapy
- massage
- multi-sensory stimulation.
Activities the person can engage with and enjoy might also help. These could include reminiscence therapy, spending time outside, and listening to music.
A person’s response to these therapies should be carefully monitored and the approach changed if needed.
These therapies can be provided by a healthcare professional with appropriate training. You can speak with your doctor about whether these therapies would be suitable for you, or someone you know who has dementia.
Jump to therapies that can help:
In this section:
Therapies that can help memory and thinking in people with dementia
People with dementia should be offered the chance to take part in local cognitive therapies, where available.
You can discuss your options with your doctor or care provider. They should be able to let you know of local services that provide such therapies.
Therapies that can help depression and low mood in people with dementia
Complementary therapies can be used alongside medication and cognitive behavioural therapy. They can help improve wellbeing, making people feel better and cope better with symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The type of therapy will depend on local availability and the individual’s preference, and might include:
- aromatherapy
- music therapy, singing groups or dancing
- animal-assisted therapy
- massage
- multi-sensory stimulation.
Activities the person can engage with and enjoy might also help. These could include reminiscence therapy, spending time outside, and listening to music.
If these don’t help much, the person can talk to their doctor about trying something new. These therapies can be provided by a healthcare professional with appropriate training.
Some people with dementia may find one of these therapies helpful and there is some research that suggests they may be beneficial. However, the studies done so far have been small, so more research is needed.
Therapies that can help anxiety, agitation and aggression in people with dementia
Some people with dementia experience behavioural symptoms, including:
- anxiety
- agitation
- aggression
- delusions (negative or mistaken beliefs)
- hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there)
- sleep disturbances
- other behavioural symptoms
They are known as neuropsychiatric symptoms or behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).
These symptoms can be difficult for the person with dementia and their loved ones to live with, but there are some things that might help.
For people with agitation and aggression in dementia, it is important to look for reasons why someone may be behaving this way.
Someone's physical health may affect their behaviour. For example, pain, being constipated, or needing the toiler can make someone distressed, especially when they find it harder to talk about. Someone's surroundings can also affect their behaviour, such as poorly lit rooms or unfamiliar places.
Finding out if there are triggers that make someone more agitated or aggressive means it might be possible to remove, treat, or avoid such triggers.
Mild behavioural symptoms can often be helped with adjustments to physical surroundings, reassurance, or changes to daily routine.
Possible triggers could include:
Alternative and/or herbal products
It is important to be cautious about ‘herbal’ or ‘alternative’ or products that claim to benefit people with dementia, or to improve memory.
There has been very little high-quality research into these products, and some may not be safe for people with dementia. For example, despite anecdotal reports, there is not enough evidence to suggest that coconut oil, gingko biloba or turmeric can benefit people with dementia.
The most important thing when considering taking an alternative product is to talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Some of these products might interact with your everyday medication, so the doctor or pharmacist needs to know about anything you might be taking.
These products should never be taken as a substitute for prescribed medicines.
Find out more
You can find out more about current diagnosis and treatments for each type of dementia on the following pages:
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Alzheimer's Research UK has a wide range of information about dementia. Order booklets or download them from our online form.
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Dementia information
Read more about treatments for dementia, including information on treating depression, anxiety and agitation and for information on antipsychotics.
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This information was updated in April 2026 and is due for review in April 2028. It was written by Alzheimer's Research UK's Information Services team with input from lay and expert reviewers. Please get in touch if you'd like a referenced copy.
This information is produced with support from The Perfume Shop who had no input into the content.
