Dementia Treatment Australia
While there is no cure for dementia, there are medications and non-drug treatments that can ease some of the symptoms. Non-drug treatments include person-centred care and talking therapies.
Person-centred care involves tailoring a person’s care to their abilities, interests and history. It can also involve giving them medication and helping them to find meaningful activities to do. Talking therapy is a form of psychological counselling that can help a person with dementia cope with their emotions and behaviours. There are also a number of support services for people with dementia and their families and friends. These can be found through organisations like Dementia Australia.
Caring for someone with dementia can be exhausting and is important to look after yourself. It is often helpful to have respite care so that you can take a break and go away for some time. Family and friends may be willing to give you a carer’s break, or you can ask for it from a service such as Respite Care Australia.
Getting a diagnosis for dementia is important to rule out other conditions and access available treatments. Having a diagnosis can also help to plan for the future. A local doctor or specialist can conduct a full assessment of the condition and provide treatment options. A free, national information and support line is available from Dementia Australia: 1800 100 500.
Seek assistance from CannaTelehealth online medical cannabis doctors by ‘Contact Us Form and the website cannatelehealth.com.au. To see whether you are eligible and whether our treatment options and drug therapies can assist.
Treatment at Home For Dementia
People with dementia benefit from staying in familiar surroundings and having their needs met as they decline. Support at home includes making sure they are safe, eating well and getting enough sleep. It’s also important that they have the right care and are able to exercise. They may also enjoy music or activities that stimulate their senses. A memory book can be a good way to help them recognise people and places, and a carer can help by taking notes if their condition worsens.
If a person with dementia’s symptoms worsen, it’s worth asking their GP about local services for longer-term care. This might include a care home or nursing home, where a specialist team can take over their care. Often, the distress they experience can be caused by other health needs, so it’s important to check for this.
Some natural therapies may help to improve a person’s mood and behaviour. These can include supplements, exercises and a healthy diet. It’s thought that these can slow down the progression of dementia by helping to maintain brain health, reducing inflammation, easing stress and anxiety and clearing away dead cells and protein tangles that cause a dementia diagnosis. They may also reduce the need for more costly medications. They’re most effective when started at the very early stages of dementia, before a patient develops cognitive symptoms or shows behavioural problems. These can include depression, irritability or aggression. Medications may be prescribed for these symptoms, but they can have unwanted side effects.
For assistance in understanding the best treatment plan for a patient with Dementia please ‘Contact Us Form’ at CannaTelehealth through our website cannatelehealth.com.au and we will book an online appointment with our TGA approved Medicinal cannabis online doctors.
Natural Treatment of Dementia - Can Plants Help With Alzheimer's?
People with dementia often use plant based therapies such as ginkgo biloba, curcumin medicinal cannabis and coconut oil. They can be helpful to alleviate some symptoms but there isn’t enough evidence to say they help with Alzheimer’s. You should always speak to a doctor before taking any herbal remedies. Some can interfere with prescription drugs and have side effects.
A limited number of plant extracts or chemicals have promising clinical trial data on cognitive enhancement in people with dementia. Vinpocetine (vincamine alkaloid) is reputed to improve blood flow to the brain and has been shown to enhance cognition in a few double-blind trials [37]. Green tea polyphenols including epigallocatechin-3-gallate are neuroprotective and reduce hippocampal amyloid accumulation in experimental models and improve memory in an epidemiological study.
Ginkgo biloba has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine and has antioxidant, antiinflammatory, anticholinesterase, and vascular protective properties. It has been reported to improve cognitive symptoms in a few small, short-term studies but was no better than placebo in an RCT involving 3069 older adults with normal or MCI. Ginkgo biloba has also been combined with ginseng and panax ginseng in a few large, longer-term trials but no apparent effect was observed on cognitive function.
Other plant species are reported to reduce risk factors for dementia such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes (e.g. folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids) with limited epidemiological and clinical trial data. It is possible that numerous other plant species that decrease these risks in normal populations will also protect against dementing diseases, albeit at a later stage of the pathology. For example, kava and passionflower (Passiflora incarnata L.) have been shown to relieve anxiety in normal populations and there is some clinical and mechanistic evidence that valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) enhances sleep in people with dementia.
At this stage there is limited research on how medicinal cannabis can treat dementia. What has been shown to be effective is Medicinal Cannabis in the treatment of anxiety and depression. It is best to speak to our online medical cannabis doctors to find out if you are eligible for CBD oils.
CannaTelehealth online consultations can be effective in reviewing the presenting conditions. Let our Online Healthcare professionals provide you with the most appropriate dementia treatment plan and medication in Australia.
About Us
CannaTelehealth is a medicinal cannabis provider that is dedicated to making natural alternatives like medicinal cannabis more accessible to Australian patients. The telehealth clinic offers online consultations and pharmacy dispensing services. We work with CBD doctors online who are supportive of the medicine and have a history of prescribing plant-based medicines.CannaTelehealth also offers a patient-first approach to medical treatment. The initial, 30-minute, one-on-one video consultation ranges from $89 to $125. CannaTelehealth provides patients with a personalised dashboard to access their e-script and a care team to provide ongoing support.
Who is CannaTelehealth
CannaTelehealth offers a telehealth service across Australia to connect you with doctors online that are authorised to prescribe medicinal cannabis for their patients. Our clinic is brand agnostic and not supported by any one product supplier. Therefore our doctors recommend and prescribe what is most suitable for the patient. We do not sell any particular brand or import or compound products. Our CannaTelehealth online clinic has relationships with quality pharmacies such as Dispense Direct who are able to assist our patients with advice on product and dosage. Others, such as Releaf Clinics, are product distributors and have their own range of products. At this stage in the legal framework, most of the clinics have GPs or NPs that are Authorised Prescribers (APs) who can apply for a TGA approval to prescribe medicinal cannabis without having to go through a patient assessment process.
If you have any queries please contact us at cannatelehealth.com.au and we will organise an online consultation with one of our medicinal cannabis doctors who are trained specialists in this sector of medicine.
Medical Cannabis Doctors Online Treatment and Consultancy
Medical marijuana treatment has been expanded to almost any condition based on a practitioner’s clinical discretion.
The online evaluation and appointment process is simple, quick and secure. You will be connected with a qualified certifying practitioner to evaluate your condition and determine if you are an appropriate candidate for medical marijuana. The initial consultation will last 10-30 minutes.
CannaTelehealth does not provide products or lists of products. We refer our patients to either Canna Review https://cannareviewsau.co/ or Catalyst Honahlee https://catalyst.honahlee.com.au/. Both of these companies offer educational and product information in an unbiased and un incentivised approach.
We understand that it is difficult to manage your health and well-being in the face of a debilitating medical condition. Our doctors are dedicated to helping patients through this difficult journey. They believe that medical cannabis can help patients with chronic and painful conditions.
We have partnered with the top medical marijuana pharmacies who will provide you with the best possible care. Upon signing up you will be given a unique registry link for the pharmacy where you can order, pay and pick up or have your medicine delivered. You will also be able to add a caregiver, parent/legal guardian or spouse during this visit (if applicable). You will need to bring a government issued ID and a copy of your health care provider’s visit summary.
Please contact CannaTelehealth to discuss your conditions with our medicinal cannabis doctors online. cannatelehealth.com.au
Our telehealth consultations are available via phone or computer/tablet with the help of our secure telehealth software. Your nurse practitioner or doctor will review your medical history and determine if medicinal cannabis is suitable for you and discuss your treatment options based on the best evidence available.
If your health professional decides that you are a good candidate they will apply to the TGA for access to prescribe medicinal cannabis. Once approved they will send you and your pharmacy an escript. You can then use your escript to buy your medicine at any pharmacy across Australia that has medicinal cannabis products on their shelves.
Can I have an appointment today?
CannaTelehealth in the main can offer same day online cannabis appointments. This means you can have your initial consultation and get started with your medication as soon as possible.
Some clinics have special pricing and discounts for veterans. However, they are not able to prescribe opioids, sleeping tablets. CannaTelehealth is able in some special considerations provide a consultation which may be bulk billed or work with the DVA to reimburse veterans for their cannabis prescriptions. These are all great options for veterans.
Our online healthcare professionals can help provide advice regarding common medications and liaise with family or carers when an advanced care directive is required to be in place. Our doctors during their online consultation treat the patient holistically. Not one treatment option fits all patients particularly those diagnosed with dementia.
For further advice please make a booking online for our specialised doctors who can provide dementia medical illness advice.
Contact us on cannatelehealth.com.au
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Frequently Asked Questions
New Treatment For Dementia
A new treatment for dementia is being hailed as a potential game changer after promising trial results were published in the US. The Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab significantly slowed progression of the disease in patients with cognitive impairment and mild dementia, compared to placebo. This was a result of the drug clearing away the build-up of amyloid protein from brain cells, which is thought to cause the development of the disease.
The Australian Dementia Network (ADNeT) Screening and Trials initiative is creating opportunities for Australians to access new therapies under development by attracting major international dementia trials to Australia. The ADNeT clinical quality registry is focusing on improving the way dementia is diagnosed and treated.
In Australia, the most common medications are cholinergics, which relieve symptoms for a limited time by blocking an enzyme that destroys an important neurotransmitter for memory called acetylcholine. These drugs can be prescribed by a doctor and are available through the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
Psychotropic medications are also sometimes prescribed to manage behaviours and psychological symptoms in people with dementia, however they can have serious side effects, especially in the elderly population. These medications can include antipsychotics, sedatives and mood stabilisers.
ADNeT’s Dementia Researcher of the Year, Professor Colin Masters, says “These pioneering results – if confirmed in future studies – are a significant first step towards effective treatments to reduce the enormous impact that Alzheimer’s will have on our country’s health and quality of life.” This is particularly exciting because it is a first in-class disease modifying therapy that could buy precious months or years before dementia worsens. It would be a real game-changer for millions of people in Australia and world-wide who are living with Alzheimer’s.
CannaTelehealth is an online medical cannabis clinic that can help provide dementia medical illness consultations.
What Are the Dementia Medications in Australia?
Dementia is a complex disease, and people living with it may experience different symptoms. There is no known cure for dementia, but medications can ease some symptoms and help improve quality of life.
Research is underway to develop new medications and treatments that may delay onset or slow progression of dementia. The NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research (NNIDR) aims to make a significant contribution to this goal.
NNIDR’s strategy is based on an approach that involves researchers across Australia, industry, consumer groups and other stakeholders. It focuses on areas that are important to consumers, carers and healthcare professionals.
The most common medications Australia used to treat the symptoms of dementia are Donepezil, Galantamine, Rivastigmine and Memantine. These are subsidised through the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for eligible veterans, war widows/widowers and their dependants.
Many people with dementia experience behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) such as aggression, wandering and agitation. BPSD is associated with poorer quality of life and earlier admission to residential aged care facilities (RACFs). In many cases, these symptoms cannot be managed without the use of antipsychotic medication [1, 2].
The Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH) and PBS 10% sample dataset indicate that the most commonly dispensed dementia-specific medicines are donepezil (509,500 scripts; 66%), galantamine (163,300 scripts; 18%) and rivastigmine (12,600 scripts; 12%). These medications reduce the breakdown of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory, learning and movement. They are prescribed for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia.
