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If your loved one with dementia experiences challenging behaviors like agitation, irritability or emotional overwhelm, you are probably looking for creative solutions. One simple, effective way to manage these issues may be doll therapy.
Doll therapy “involves offering a person with dementia a soft, life-like baby doll to hold, cuddle or care for,” explains Anneli Kumpula, board-certified family and psychiatric nurse practitioner and the co-founder of Elevate Hospice, who adds that doll therapy works by “meeting emotional needs in a non-verbal, reassuring way, and is often used to ease anxiety, restlessness or agitation.”
Here, we’ll go over everything you need to know about dolls for dementia patients, including the benefits and drawbacks, the best dolls for dementia patients and how to know if a therapy doll is right for your loved one.
Key takeaways
- Doll therapy simply involves giving your loved one with dementia a doll or similar comfort object to cuddle with and enjoy. It has the potential to reduce aggression, help with emotional regulation and provide comfort for people with dementia.
- The best doll for dementia is the one your loved one likes. Many dementia patients prefer life-like dolls that are soft and easy to handle, while others prefer stuffed animals.
- The best way to introduce therapy dolls is to place the doll where your loved one can see it and let them freely interact with it. If it brings a smile, a calmer mood or gentle conversation, you may have found a helpful new part of their care routine.
What is doll therapy?
Doll therapy simply involves giving your loved one with dementia a doll or similar comfort object to cuddle with and enjoy. Dr. Caitlyn McClure, vice president of clinical services at Northern Illinois Recovery, describes doll therapy as “a non-pharmacological, individualized intervention” that introduces a realistic doll as a comforting, significant target for searching or care-seeking behavior, which is common in people with dementia.
“This attachment need can be met with a realistic doll, [which can help] reduce distress and open the door to relating,” McClure explains. Dementia patients also commonly deal with agitation, aggression, pacing/wandering, and other behaviors that the comfort of a dementia doll may be able to help soothe, McClure says.
“Many people respond best to realistic, baby-sized dolls that are soft, easy to hold and comfortable in weight.”
— Anneli Kumpula, family and psychiatric nurse practitioner
What are the benefits of dementia dolls?
Following a 2022 review of seven studies on doll therapy for dementia, which included a total of 295 participants, researchers outlined the following potential doll therapy benefits:
- Improves emotional states in dementia patients.
- Decreases disruptive behavior.
- Decreases aggressive behaviors.
- Decreases irritability.
- Promotes communication.
But it’s not just research — many families notice the benefits of doll therapy for dementia in real life. According to Kumpula, caregivers and loved ones “often notice less pacing, fewer outbursts and more moments of quiet connection” when doll therapy is introduced.
Other benefits include greater relaxation, more engagement and more cooperation with daily care when a doll becomes part of the routine, Kumpula explains. “It can spark conversations, smiles and gentle interactions.”
Are there any drawbacks when using dementia dolls?
Dementia dolls aren’t typically harmful. That said, sometimes caregivers have misgivings about therapy dolls. “Some people may see it as infantilizing, especially if it’s pushed on someone who doesn’t want it,” Kumpula. That’s why it’s vital to respect your loved one’s dignity and give them choice in the matter. “Not everyone will respond well, and forcing it can cause distress,” Kumpula emphasizes.
Another concern family members have is that it might accelerate the deterioration process, says Kelly O’Connor, certified senior advisor, certified dementia practitioner, and editor at CSA Journal. “Some family members believe that doll therapy causes memory loss because caregivers aren’t encouraging them to live in the present,” she explains. So far, there is no research to indicate that this occurs.
What are the best dolls for dementia patients?
When it comes to choosing the best dementia doll for your loved one, it can be a very individualized thing. You know your loved one best, and likely have a sense of what they like and what they don’t like.
“Many people respond best to realistic, baby-sized dolls that are soft, easy to hold and comfortable in weight,” Kumpula shares. Choosing clothing and features that feel familiar to your loved one can be helpful too, she adds.
McClure recommends dolls with baby-like faces, because they tend to stimulate more interactions than the ordinary stuffed dolls. “Select soft and easy-to-clean fabric, no loose parts, neutral facial look and a weight that can be held safely by the individual,” she suggests.
“If it brings a smile, a calmer mood or gentle conversation, you may have found a helpful new part of their care routine.”
— Anneli Kumpula
Non-doll options
Dolls aren’t the only option here. “For those who didn’t have children or for those whose child-rearing was traumatic, comfort animals might be a better choice,” O’Connor says. In this case, dolls that resemble pets, like stuffed dogs or cats, may be a better option.
Really, though, anything can be a comfort object for a dementia patient. These are usually items that are soft, like dolls, stuffed animals or anything made of cloth. Some people may more easily calm down with a soft toy cat, a familiar scarf or a weighted blanket, McClure describes.
You might even try an interactive “companion pet” that moves or make gentle sounds, says Kumpula. “The key is matching the object to the person’s personality, history and comfort level.”
How to introduce a therapy doll
The best way to introduce therapy dolls is to place the doll where your loved one can see it and let them freely interact with it, Kumpula recommends. “No pretending or ‘acting’ is needed — just let them engage naturally,” she says.
Next, watch to see how they react. “If it brings a smile, a calmer mood or gentle conversation, you may have found a helpful new part of their care routine,” Kumpula says.
On the other hand, she adds, “If it upsets them, set it aside; that’s perfectly OK.”
How to decide if doll therapy is the right choice
You can’t always know if doll therapy is right for your loved one unless you try it. Most caregivers have an inkling that a therapy doll might work well for their loved one, especially if they notice increased aggression, irritability, signs of emotional insecurity or other similar behaviors.
The worst that will happen is that your loved one will reject the doll, or seem uninterested in it. But even if they don’t like it at first, it may be worth trying again. McClure recommends trying the doll several times during calm moments during the day. If it’s not working, it may be worth trying again in a few weeks, and then discontinuing if there doesn’t seem to be many benefits or if behaviors become worse.
Overall, though, most dementia patients do get benefits from doll therapy, whether from an actual baby doll or from another soft, comforting lovey. If you aren’t sure whether doll therapy is right for your loved one, it’s also a good idea to touch base with their healthcare provider or a geriatric social worker for advice and support.
