Lifesize dolls for elderly residents

For dementia patients they can give huge comfort. There are also baby seals that move which are meant to be good for some people. In my mother's home one lady has a baby doll, another a collection of stuffed furry animals, my mum uses a twiddle muff (a knitted muff with bobbles and textures attached for her to fiddle with), there are two wonderful resident cats who visit beds and rooms and individual's chairs, plus I go in daily with my Labrador puppy who is happy to greet and say hello to all the residents who want her to. Not all dementia patients are the same; my mum, at the moment doesn't want a baby doll or a stuffed animal, preferring her muff, but as she deteriorates she may change. Anything that makes life less hard is surely a great thing?

Patronising and creepy.

Mind you, life size adult dolls are a bit odd if other real life people are resident already in the home?

You know what - if anything can bring some joy to a person with dementia - and it's not hurting anyone else - then I think that's great!!

Stuffed kittens and puppies! Eek! [chicken]

I read the headline - 'Lifesize dolls...' and thought, well, never mind what I thought [laugh]

I have a friend who earns a living taking her horse into care homes. They love him.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-shropshire-29941672/shropshire-care-home-horse-rupert-is-hit-with-residents

Hahahaha! Don't know what I did wrong there - the chicken was supposed to look stuffed and cooked, and the laugh was supposed to be just that - a laughing face! Oh dear, back to the drawing board!

Everyone is different and remains different no matter their age or life stage. Some people with dementia take great comfort from a doll or soft toy, others simply don't want them. The same way that some people like to watch sport, motor racing, reality tv - and a whole lot of other programmes - and some don't. I've no idea about these larger 'pretend people' but if they give comfort to someone it truly doesn't matter what I think about them. It's not patronising in my view as long as the provision is responding to a need in an individual and not imposed.

We bought a doll for my Mum who had mixed picture dementia. We got it from somewhere that sold them specifically for dementia patients. It was the best thing we ever did. She really loved it and treated it as if it were real and although she hadn't spoken for months she started talking to it; her mood was transformed. She also started to eat again and try to feed her baby at the same time. It didn't seem at all patronising as she was much happier and at 92 it was lovely seeing her care for "someone" again. When she died a year later we left her baby at the home so that someone else could benefit.

That is the key, they make their 'own choice' of any life-enhancing gadgets available to them.

narrowboatnan that is exactly what I thought and thought well, that WOULD be very interesting

Is that not like treating them like children

I can only go by how I saw dementia patients reacting to a baby, and also in this home they did have a couple of cats, I’m sure these old ladies would have loved something to cuddle, but I’m definitely not talking about people without dementia, I agree that would be horribly patronising

Lindak

But they are like children

No they are not.

narrowboatnan. Exactly what I thought! ?

When my father was in a care home, a cat came regularly to visit if, and only if, it had been made welcome the first time.

If residents didn't care for cats, all they had to do was say, "Shoo!" and it left.

It transpired it was the local clergyman's cat that seemed to have fathomed some of what is meant by pastoral care.

They most certainly are not like children. This attitude drives me mad. My sister used to talk and treat our mother as if she were a toddler. People with dementia are not like children at all. They are adults who have all lived and still might have stories to tell. But to say they are like children is rude and unnecessary.

I get that, but they have often reverted to childhood, and if that’s a place they are happy that’s alright isn’t it? With my mother in law, we just went with the flow, she was often at different stages of her life, and we were different people, I can’t see anything wrong in letting the patient be where they are happiest, and if that’s childhood, so be it

I agree with MOnica and Minimoo I would like to be treated as an an adult coming to the end of a full life if ever I was in a residential home.

But you wouldn’t be you, I admit I have absolutely no professional knowledge, I only know what I observed over several years of visiting, and I feel you have to let the patient take the lead. I may be wrong, but I don’t feel I am

One of my granddaughters friends had one of these “reborn” life like baby dolls, it was exquisite, weighted and smelt of baby powder. Having always been a sucker for a new baby I was rather taken with it ?
So I think that if someone has always liked babies then it could be a very useful item to have and possibly be a calming relaxing experience for a dementia sufferer.

Personally I find reborn dolls creepy and don’t like my DGD’s. But if anybody takes comfort in one or a stuffed cat or dog, or a real cat or dog that’s fine surely? Everybody is an individual and should be treated as one whether they have dementia or not.

narrowboatnan. Me too. My mind boggled when I read the title.
I think the adult size dolls are horrible and can't see a purpose.
I have heard of people with dementia loving dolls to care for like babies, but it's up to the individual.
A brilliant suggestion from M0nica though but and it's a big but, as said by grannybuy, there's not enough staffing as it is and they don't have the time other than being cares.
I'm a volunteer in an elderly residential care home, each have their own flat. We have an activities manager and there are also male and female volunteers who go in and chat, play cards, dominoes, crib, bingo and quizzes Without volunteers it would be a very long day for some as many have problems with mobility, some with dementia.
M0nica, we have volunteer residents that like to have a responsibility.
One lady run's the shop on a Wednesday, does raffles. A gentleman is so proud that he feeds the fish. Places the cutlery on the dining tables. Another fills the salt and pepper pots whether they want topping up or not.
There are volunteer gardeners. On a Monday afternoon there are three retired ladies who run 'The Monday Club' for two hours that provide mind stimulating activities and creativity. .They make cards, last week made such beautiful flower arrangements and the list goes on.
In a perfect world, if only all homes could be like this.
I must point out that this is a care home not a nursing home . There is a difference in the health and ability of residents.
It's so very sad to see, as some of us have, elderly people often with the last stages of dementia in nursing homes that have very few visitors, often no one. They just sit in chairs around a room.
Maybe a baby doll can give comfort and companionship. but most of all if only there were enough volunteers just to sit, talk and hold a hand if just for an hour.
Our manager always says that it doesn't matter if someone can only give 15 minutes, you've brightened someone's day.

I quite want a reborn baby doll anyway. A really pretty one. So it would be alright for me.

Why are they called, 'reborn'?

Is it a euphemism for stuffed?