Has anyone had success with natural nontoxic non-pharmaceutical remedies for dementia/Alzheimer's?

Some studies have suggested fish oil and turmeric(with high curcumin levels) are helpful, along with the other things you've mentioned. These are not likely to cure your mom, but interest in the arts and music, socialization, exercise, good diet and weight and some supplements may help her lead a better quality of life for now. Yes, the drugs now offered have side effects and they are not for everyone. However, it would be good to talk this over with her doctor. You may want to seek out a naturopathic doctor in addition to her traditional doctor. Then you can balance the information. The natural route isn't likely to harm your mother, however. The point is whether or not starting the available drugs as early as possible would be helpful.
Take care,
Carol

I am a huge believer in "better living through chemistry." My husband stayed in a mild, high-functioning state of Lewy Body Dementia for about 9 years. We traveled, went to concerts, museums, gave parties, and generally promoted social and cognitive activity. He attended an adult day health program. He also exercised regularly. These things no doubt contributed to the mildness of his dementia, but the fact is that none of these things would have been possible without the support of various drugs. I could not have kept him at home, let alone done all these activities with him, without a number of very carefully prescribed and monitored medications. (In our case, Seroquel was absolutely critical, for example.)

As far as I'm concerned, the quest to improve/cure/prevent diseases in any way we can is a "natural" outcome of having the kind of brains humans have. It is not natural for a lion or a horse to develop a drug to improve failing memory, but the attempt is very natural for humans.

I know in my heart that the right way for my husband was to carefully weigh the pros and cons, the risks and potential benefits, and then do everything possible to maintain quality of life as long as we could.

The only thing I'd like to add is a caution to the phrase "the natural route isn't likely to harm her." I agree with the spirit of that statement, but people do tend to forget that everything is "chemical" -- just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it doesn't have "side effects" or the potential to harm. And there are interactions between even the most ordinary herbs and so-called pharmaceuticals. So get professional help with even the "natural" side of things, as Carol suggests. Also: according to the latest research, aerobic exercise (= activity that raises the heart rate, even as little as 30 minutes a few times a week) is the single most helpful thing you can do to slow Alzheimer's-related (and other types of) decline. And that doesn't involve ingesting anything at all!

I have seen stabilization and some improvement with the suggestions above. Coconut oil too has seemed to help. Suggested amounts are 2 or more tablespoons a day. There seem to be no major problems with this and the turmeric above is also good for so many physical problems it should be part of all of our diets. Stimulation for the body and the mind are so important to keep the engagement with life going. I do think it is better to be a bit bold and not too careful. Most of us know in our hearts the right way. We have looked to authority for so long. They have to a large extent abandoned our health in favour of supporting the money sources, that is to say, big business including the drug and food industries as well as the mainstream media outlets. That is where I think you need to take care, is in believing all you are told by industry and government. That is also the great benefit of a person to person source such as this site has been.

Doesnt hurt to try. I tried Coconut oil and tumeric on my Alz man. Nothing worked. But its worth the few bucks to know.

These are all very good answers and I will implement them. Thank you so much! I don't get the phrase "not likely to cure your mom" because neither are any of the drugs, as far as I know. Her regular doctor and psychiatrist have not recommended drugs, but a psychiatrist who saw my mom recently when she was in a rehab center recommended drug treatment and wanted to prescribe Seroquel. I easily have found tumeric in the supermarket and local health food store, but so far none specifying curcumin levels, Mom loves to walk with her walker, so the research on exercise is good news!

Yes I have. My husband is in the 4th stage of Alz's. He been taking the coconut oil (Pills) for a 2 yrs. he takes up to three a day. You can take up to 4 a day. It has been really helping him. He cant take a lot of meds either. He is also taking Omega 3 too. Try it is wonderful.

You may find the Alzheimer's section of Science Daily to be interesting as it suggests a number of treatments: sciencedaily/news/mind_brain/alzheimer's/