Doll therapy for dementia patients
September 23rd 2009 02:19
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LAUREN ZWAANS
September 23, 2009
THEY could be described as "creepy", but these lifelike dolls are an important treatment aid for dementia sufferers.
Alzheimer's Australia SA general manager for research and innovation, Tim Wallace, said the therapy – which aims to calm dementia patients – was an excellent tool for the "under-resourced" aged-care sector.
"Dementia patients often lose a sense of purpose and are seeking this purpose and meaning," he said.
"That nurturing instinct is very innate. It's a very positive engagement because babies are positive sources of joy."
He said doll aids had "changed substantially" over the past year. "The feedback from consumers is that the dolls . . . are the most realistic they have ever seen.
"All kinds of people would be drawn to them, though people who are cognitively intact sometimes find them creepy."
Mr Wallace said the dolls – which weigh about the same as a real baby – offered "a release of stress and anxiety" for patients, who usually viewed them as living beings.
The association plans to make them increasingly lifelike with a simulated heartbeat, voicebox and other features.
From: Adelaide Now.com.au
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