Touch-stress model and Alzheimer's disease: using touch intervention to alleviate patients' stress.

This article presents a theoretical model for future nursing research and practice on the use of touch intervention in patients with Alzheimer's disease. A theory synthesis was conducted that built on a base of previous research findings pertaining to the phenomenon of interest identified by two conceptual models: the Progressively Lowered Stress Threshold (PLST) model and the Touch model. The literature review was restricted to published articles in nursing and health services journals from 1970 through 2000. The Touch-Stress model formulated through theory synthesis can contribute to theory development, serve to improve care of patients with Alzheimer's disease suffering from emotional and behavioral disturbances, and increase the quality of life for the caregivers and families of patients with Alzheimer's disease.