THE ESSENTIAL
- Doll therapy is a psychosocial intervention, which involves supporting people suffering from dementia in their interactions with a therapeutic doll.
- This approach, used in hospitals or retirement homes, is associated with positive changes in their well-being and behavior.
- However, it is ineffective in some patients who are indifferent to dolls.
Italy, United States, England, China, Switzerland… In several countries, “doll therapy”, having emerged at the end of the 1990s in Sweden, is integrated into certain care practices for people living with dementia and practiced in establishments, such as hospitals or retirement homes. Used for several decades, according to a study published in the journal Nursing Reportsthis non-drug therapeutic approach consists of offering adults with cognitive decline, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, a so-called “realistic” or “empathetic” doll, like reborn babies, with which to interact. “Their size and weight are as close as possible to those of an infant, and their soft texture encourages touch and cuddling. The dolls are available to residents who have no obligation to take them,” specifies the Champagne du Sud Hospitals on Facebook.
This psychosocial intervention, during which patients hold, caress, play, feed or dress the dolls, is the subject of controversy. “Some argue that it can infantilize the elderly and undermine their dignity”we can read on the EBSCO site, which provides library resources. However, several caregivers assure that “doll therapy” alleviates certain behavioral and psychological symptoms.
“Doll therapy”: what do we know about its effectiveness in patients suffering from dementia?
According to the Vaud University Hospital, dolls reduce anxiety, agitation, aggressiveness, wandering or apathy (a persistent deficit in motivation), while promoting well-being and a feeling of usefulness, responsibility and comfort. “Some people with dementia enjoy holding or playing with a doll or soft toy, such as a cat or dog, or even just having one nearby. This can remind them of a time when they had young children or a pet, and spark pleasant feelings of nostalgia or affection, even if they are unable to express them,” indicates the organization Dementia UK.
Another benefit: doll therapy promotes communication and reconnection to the outside world, more precisely “sparking conversations about the toy and her feelings about it.” Dolls can be a way to help the person with dementia bond with younger family members, such as grandchildren or, in the case of early-onset dementia, their own children.
These results were also observed in France. During therapy, “elderly people have a smile. We can feel that they are calmer, that they wander around less and that some of them shout a lot less. And all these beneficial effects without medication, it’s really amazing”, declared, to France 3 BrittanyKarine Deroy, lead caregiver in the Alzheimer’s unit at the Maison Saint-Michel nursing home in Liffré. Questioned by the newspaper, Adeline Ginguéné, therapist specializing in “doll therapy”, added that “the technique touched on the notion of reminiscence, on the memories of the elderly person. The face and texture of the dolls play. Some seniors even begin to tell stories to the dolls.”
Disadvantages of doll therapy
The Vaudois University Hospital reports that this approach does not work for all patients, because some show no interest in dolls. In this case, the Dementia UK organization recommends not insisting. “You can always try again another day.” In The ConversationNikki-Anne Wilson, a researcher at UNSW Sydney, also points out that the attachment to the doll can become so strong that the person with dementia will be upset if someone else takes the doll. “An adult with dementia may neglect herself and her own needs in favor of caring for her doll. She may, for example, try to give the doll her own food or put the doll to sleep in her own bed, while she sleeps in an armchair. To avoid this, it is advisable not to let the doll in her sight during meals. If this helps, you can suggest putting the doll to take a nap.” recommended Dementia UK.
