Elder Clowns to treat Dementia: Dr. Pia Kontos on CityNews

In a recent study featured on CityNews last week, Dr. Pia Kontos found clown therapy was just as effective as medication in bringing down aggression levels in seniors with dementia  – and in some cases – patients who were considered non-verbal began reacting or communicating with the clowns in small but significant ways.

The elder clowns underwent intensive training in Montreal to learn how to interact with patients who may not be able to communicate due to their disease.

During the study, the therapy clowns would spend a half day in Toronto long-term care homes, going room to room, interacting with residents. The interactions would last anywhere between 30 seconds to 30 minutes – based on how that person was reacting.

Kontos has published the results of her study and hopes it will result in more funding to put clowns in every long-term care home in the province as part of a comprehensive care plan.

Click here to watch the full video featured on CityNews!