More and more people are experiencing the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. The Alzheimer’s Association notes that one in three seniors die with dementia, and by 2050 nearly 14 million Americans are expected to be living with it.
Those growing numbers are spurring innovative efforts to treat dementia, including Cognitive Stimulation Therapy, a non-drug treatment that is the focus of a conference taking place Monday and Tuesday at St. Louis University.
Dr. John Morley and Dr. Martin Orrell are among CST’s proponents, and both of them joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jonathan Ahl on Monday’s St. Louis on the Air to talk about what they and their peers have described as a common-sense approach to treating dementia.
Morley is a professor of geriatrics at St. Louis University and also sees patients at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital. Orrell is the director of the Institute of Mental Health at the University of Nottingham and one of the founders of CST.
Listen to the discussion:
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Alex Heuer, Evie Hemphill and Lara Hamdan. The engineer is Aaron Doerr and production assistance is provided by Charlie McDonald.
Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org.
