Brain Training: Non-Medical Treatment for Alzheimer's

As we're constantly trying to find more information about Alzheimer's, including how to treat it, we're finding that some of the best-proven medicines for the disease is not really medicine at all, but non-medical therapies like mental and physical exercise.
Now that these therapies have been in practice for long enough to gather enough evidence on its effectiveness, it looks like they are now proven to be extremely useful in treating the illness. AARP Bulletin reports:
"Psychological therapies have been used with people with dementia for at least 50 years," says Robert Woods, a professor at Bangor University in Wales, whose presentation highlighted the fact that behavioral approaches have fewer side effects than drug therapies.
Two of the common therapies are known as "cognitive stimulation" and "reminiscence therapy." Cognitive stimulation involves a small group of people with dementia meeting a couple of times a week with a care worker, to take part in a range of activities--from word games to a group baking session. The sessions are intended to involve those with Alzheimer's in activities that are mentally stimulating and enjoyable.
Read more about what these studies have found, it's pretty extraordinary, and much worth reading if your family has a history of the disease.