Doll Therapy and Dementia Patients

A study by Ferri et al. (2005) using the Delphi technique to produce expert consensus on the estimated prevalence of age-specific dementia across different regions in the world revealed that approximately 24 million people had dementia in the year 2001 and that this number will double every two decades to over 40 million by 2020 and over 80 million by 2040, assuming that the mortality rate remains the same, and no effective curative treatment or preventative strategies are introduced. These estimates justify the need to enhance intervention strategies to better the health outcomes of dementia patients. Dominantly, pharmacological interventions have been used on patients with dementia in response to the cognitive decline and other related problems exhibited by these patients. However, these pharmacological interventions bear clear limitations in addressing the medical condition.

Such dementia patients with anxiety are highly vulnerable to the cognitive side effects of medications used in anxiety treatment (Baldini et al. This vulnerability complicates the treatment of anxiety in dementia patients. Substantial research on the topic shows that stress-related and emotional behaviors are among the most frustrating and difficult challenges for people with dementia and their caregivers (Baldini et al. , 2004; Sifton, 2004). High levels of these stress-related behaviors deteriorate the quality of life for both the dementia patients and their caregivers. Consequently, these patients worry about their past experiences or yearn for their good past times, which often produces agitation and unease (Mace & Rabins, 1999). These conditions worsen the health outcomes of dementia patients. It further emphasizes on the need to develop and use effective intervention therapy on dementia patients.

The Origin of Doll Therapy Theoretically, the therapeutic application of doll therapy was first introduced by John Bowlby in his work on attachment theory in 1969. Many scholars and experts cite Bowlby’s (1969) work on attachment theory as the reason for the use of doll therapy as a therapeutic intervention (Stephens et al. These caregivers have to deal with poor social connections, aggressive behaviors, and impairment of self-maintenance exhibited by dementia patients (Alzheimers’s Association, 2013; Toye et al. Doll therapy presents an alternative to these caregivers by introducing an intervention that is person-driven and person-centered, involving behaviors such as dressing, cuddling, feeding, talking to, and holding an anthropomorphic doll (Mitchell, 2014). Used in the healthcare context, doll therapy is similar to other therapeutic interventions such as art therapy, aromatherapy, music therapy, and other sensory pursuits.

As victims of dementia exponentially increase, health professionals and medical scholars are placing more emphasis on non-pharmacological interventions such as doll therapy. This emphasis and increased research in the area have significantly enhanced knowledge in this area, coming up with numerous benefits proving the effectiveness of doll therapy. These supplies should be washed to ensure sanity at all times. Moreover, Mackenzie, Wood-Mitchell, and James (2007) discourage from the use of noisy dolls as these can confuse and upset the dementia patients. The fundamental concept is that dolls should be realistic, relatable, and non-distractive. Ellingford et al. (2007) suggest ways of introducing the dolls to dementia patients. Kitwood (1997) supports Mackenzie et al. ’s (2006) view by suggesting that it is the caregivers’ role engage with the dementia patients and respect their preferences and needs to meet the standards of patient-centered dementia care.

Communication in Doll Therapy Research by Alander, Prescott and James 2013 reveals that caregivers and healthcare facility staff members believe the primary purpose of doll therapy is to facilitate and allow dementia patients to intimate with the dolls without feelings of criticism. The research revealed that dolls allowed dementia patients to establish dialogues between them and the dolls. The initial communication between the patients and the dolls can evolve to include family members, visitors, or caregivers, as the dolls provide conversation focus that allows the sharing of similar experiences. Fraser and James (2008) showed that older patients with dementia had positive responses to doll therapy because the feeling of reassurance and comfort offered by the dolls overcame that of loneliness. Furthermore, the dolls enhanced a sense of inclusion and validation that the older dementia patients experienced through attachment behaviors.

In one of the case studies, a dementia patient said that the doll allowed her to remember the days she was a mother and recreated attachments through reminiscence. Ethics of Doll Therapy The use of doll therapy on dementia patients has proven to deliver benefits such as increased engagement with others, improved intake of diets, enhancements in the general well-being, and decreased distress. As such, it can be deduced that doll therapy is a beneficial intervention in the care for dementia patients. The inherent challenge exhibited by the therapy is that it may be perceived by some analysts or practitioners as both beneficial and unethical. However, through the application of a “rights-based approach,” medical professionals are at a position to resolve the ethical tensions that exist in the application of the doll therapy on people with dementia.

Present Study The present study will be guided by the research question: What is the effect of doll therapy on anxiety in dementia patients? The study investigates the effects of dolls on dementia patients. It seeks to determine whether the anxiety of dementia patients reduces when the patients are introduced to the dolls. Materials The researcher is expected to take fourteen dolls to the Bedford Care Center. The researcher acknowledges that by asking the caretakers to recommend potential participants, it will introduce the possibility of bias on the side of the caretakers as many of them only worked part-time. To minimize the possibility of bias in the selection process of participants the researcher will include a co-founder into the process of recommending participants.

In consultation with the co-founder, the caretakers is expected to recommend patients to participate in the experiment. The experimental sessions will be carried out inside the Bedford Care Center in a room known to the participants, with a bed and a chair on which the patients were used to seating on. Each participant will be introduced to one doll and observed over a period of two weeks for any behavioral changes. ” The bar graphs show the final behavioral conditions of the participants at the end of the experiment. ” For instance, some respondents show “a lot” of activities at the beginning of the experiment and still maintained that level at the end of the experiment. Outcomes of the Experiment The scores for the behavioral changes for the dementia patients at the Bedford Care Center are expected to improve during the three weeks of the experiment.

The expected statistics for the level of behavioral changes in the dementia patients at the end of the experiment is shown in the graphs presented in the appendix. The expected overall trend is positive improvements in patients’ behaviors for the period of the experiment. Changes in Interaction with the Caregivers Figure 3 in the appendix shows the expected changes in interaction with the caregivers at the beginning and at the end of the two-week intervention of doll therapy. As can be seen from the graph, all the participants that showed “a lot” of interaction with caregivers at the beginning of the experiment are expected to maintain that level at the end of the experiment. The graph also indicates that three of the five participants that had initially showed “some” interactions are expected to improve by the end of the experiment.

None of the two participants that showed “a little” interaction with the caregivers are expected to show improvements. d. Positive changes in these behaviors among dementia patients will indicate a reduction in anxiety among the patients. The expected results from the experiment show that most of the participants will respond favorably toward the dolls. However, the expected results also indicate that there is no change in the level of interaction among the participants that showed “a little” interaction with the caregivers. This statistical result will be an indication that doll therapy is not for everyone. This sentiment is also supported by the fact that not all the participants showed behavioral improvements despite the intervention of doll therapy. A. Older adults’ views and experiences of doll therapying residential care homes.

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