title: Therapeutic touch in dementia care.
abstract: Touch, in its purest sense, is considered by many as a core aspect of care-giving and of the nurse-patient relationship. Touch is a fundamental element in nursing work and one of the most personally experienced of all communicative sensations. Some believe it to be the 'mother of the senses', symbolising caring and providing validation of existence as an individual ( Autton 1989 , Estabrooks and Morse 1992 , Weiss 1992).
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sheffield, Meg Sykes EN(G), RMN is Sister, Kendray Day Hospital.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aveyard
authors.affiliation: Kendray Hospital Nurse Development Unit, Barnsley/School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sheffield.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Doherty
keywords: Alternative therapies; Dementia; Elderly: nursing