Dolls were used to treat autistic children in Sweden in the 1990s. They were later used in nursing homes. The University Hospital in Lausanne is now investigating whether therapy dolls can also be used successfully in older dementia patients.
In this context, the term “doll therapy” is used, especially for people with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s.
When asked by Keystone-SDA, Patrizia D’Amelio, chief physician of CHUV’s geriatrics division, said, “We give babies to patients who are restless or who act aggressively to calm them down.” This means that drugs that are not necessarily effective and have significant side effects can be abandoned.
Patients would draw their attention to a pleasant and soothing object with a doll in their arms. For example, you can talk to the doll, dress it up, carry it and even play with it.
For D’Amelio, who is conducting preliminary studies in Italy, it’s a “more humane drug” aimed not only at people with dementia, but also at people with confusion.
CHUV currently has about 20 of these dolls, but plans to purchase more. Prior to that, the effects of this treatment had to be documented in a study of 120 patients lasting several months. Half of the patients are given a doll and the other half an ordinary pillow.
Babies are pretty heavy: “Patients must have the feeling they’re carrying a small baby,” said the professor. Hair should invite you to caress it. The mouth is closed so that the patient does not wait for an answer. The gaze is also not direct, so as not to frighten patients: arms and legs are open, inviting you to take the baby in your arms.
The therapy works very well, but is not suitable for everyone, according to the head physician. For example, dolls should not be given to patients who have lost a child. “As with all treatments, you have to choose the right time and the right people,” says D’Amelio.
Doll therapy also requires enlightenment from nurses and, of course, relatives of patients who sometimes see them as childish. The opposite is the case: with the doll, someone has to take responsibility for someone and thus transform from a person in need of help to a person who takes care of himself.
(SDA)