Frontotemporal dementia treatment

There's currently no cure for frontotemporal dementia. But there are treatments that can help manage some of the symptoms.

Care plans

Before treatment starts, your treatment team will assess your future health and social care needs. They will also create a care plan for you.

This is a way of making sure you get the right treatment for your needs.

They will look at:

what support you or your carer need for you to remain as independent as possible – including if you might need care at home or in a nursing home
if there are any changes that need to be made to your home to make it easier to live in
if you need any financial help

Medicine

Medicines cannot stop frontotemporal dementia getting worse. But they can help reduce some of the symptoms for some people.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may help to control symptoms such as:

loss of inhibitions
overeating
compulsive behaviours

Antipsychotics

These are rarely used, but are sometimes needed if SSRIs have not been effective. They can help control severely challenging behaviour that's putting the person with dementia or others around them at risk of harm.

Support and other therapies

There are a number of therapies and practical measures that can help make daily life easier for someone with dementia.

These include:

occupational therapy – to identify problem areas such as getting dressed and work out practical solutions
speech and language therapy – to help improve any communication or swallowing problems
physiotherapy – to help with movement difficulties
relaxation techniques – such as massage and music or dance therapy
social interaction, leisure activities and other dementia activities – such as dementia cafes, which are drop-in sessions for people with memory or cognitive problems and their carers to get support and advice
strategies for challenging behaviour – such as distraction techniques, a structured daily routine and activities like doing puzzles or listening to music
incontinence products if needed
a memory and technology resource room - to help identify what assistive technology might work for you to help your independence, communication and safety
information and advice from the National Dementia Adviser Service - alzheimer.ie

Find out more about dementia cafes - dementiacafe.ie

Memory and technology resource rooms - understandtogether.ie

Support groups

Find a list of supports in your area at:

End of life and legal issues

If you've been diagnosed with dementia, you might want to make arrangements for your care.

You may want to consider:

drawing up an advance care directive – this shows what treatment you would like in case you're unable to do this in the future
having a plan for where you want to receive treatment as your condition becomes more advanced
giving a relative an enduring power of attorney – this is the power to make decisions about you if you're unable to

End of life planning - alzheimer.ie

Managing legal affairs for someone with dementia - understandtogether.ie