Patients living with dementia are benefiting from doll therapy

29 October 2018

Patients living with dementia at Shropshire’s two acute hospitals are being comforted with the help of specialist dolls.

The image of an older person cuddling and singing to a doll might seem unusual at first, but the Dementia Team at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) have found it can help reduce stress and anxiety by evoking happy memories from the past.

Karen Breese, Dementia Nurse Specialist at SaTH, which runs the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, said: “We know that people living with dementia-related conditions can feel distressed when they are in unfamiliar surroundings, therefore inviting them to care for a doll is just one way we work with some patients to ease any anxiety they feel about being away from home.

“Used in the right way, and given to the right patient, the single-use dolls can have a phenomenal impact. They can bring back happy memories of parenthood and help people have a role to nurture and care. It can also improve communication and confidence.

“Interestingly, doll therapy also works with people who don’t have children. My first introduction to the technique was with a man who was really missing his wife. He took the doll and calmed down immediately.”

With a quarter of patients at SaTH living with a dementia or some form of confusion, the team are trained to ensure they know the benefits of using doll therapy and how to carefully select patients who may benefit from this unique method of care.

Nurses are also provided with information sheets and training and will discuss the holistic therapy with families before introducing the dolls.

Karen added: “Studies have shown that using doll therapy can help patients living with dementia have a better experience when staying in hospital. But we’re very respectful of how families may feel about it and always leave it to the patient to accept doll therapy in their own unique way.

“Alternative therapies, such as dolls, snoozing pets and knitted bears, which we are also starting to slowly introduce, are becoming more popular as they are often seen as a more attractive alternative to traditional medication and less intrusive than one-to-one care with a staff member.”

The therapy dolls are just the latest in a series of innovations introduced by SaTH for people with dementia in recent years, including:

• The Butterfly Scheme, which uses a butterfly symbol to quickly and discreetly identify patients with dementia or confusion.
• The Carer’s Passport, encouraging carers to visit and stay with patients living with dementia in order to provide reassurance, support, and help with eating and drinking and other day-to-day activities.
• John’s Campaign, allowing the families and carers of people with dementia to remain with patients in hospital for as long as possible.
• This Is Me, a leaflet that people living with dementia can use to tell staff about their needs, preferences, likes, dislikes and interests.
• Twiddlemuffs, thick hand muffs with bits and bobs attached to the inside and out which are designed to provide a stimulation activity for restless hands for patients with dementia.
• Dementia-Friendly Café – held once a month at PRH and RSH with plans to allow people with dementia and their carers to get together over coffee and cake to talk about their experiences.
• Snack boxes, to provide small amounts of fresh finger food over a 24-hour period to supplement regular meal times. In the later stages of dementia the most important thing is making sure a patient takes on a higher-calorie diet as appropriate to their need.
• Blue crockery, provided following research at the University of Stirling that shows it is easier for patients living dementia to distinguish what food they are eating when it is presented on a blue plate opposed to a white plate.