Lifesize dolls for elderly residents

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

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

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.

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.

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!

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

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!!

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

Patronising and creepy.

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?

I used to take my puppy in and the residents loved her. I don't know about dolls though.

Oh no.
Too weird.
Yuk.

For what it is worth, I buy and dress baby dolls and donate them to local care homes. To date they have been gratefully received and much loved by those patients who choose to adopt them.

I pay for the dolls, and the yarn I knit with, out of my own pocket, and do it with love.

I certainly don’t laugh at any resident who ‘loves’ one of my dolls. And I am told the recipients are much comforted by having a focus.

I hope someone might provide something of comfort to me, should I ever need it, in my dotage.

ALL homes are assessed on how they practice individualised care with people. This includes encouraging and facilitating independence and also offering different options for care, comfort and activities, then ensuring what happens is the individual's choice.
I've seen many an unhappy resident with dementia find huge comfort in a baby-size doll, with or without a pram or moses basket.
I personally have mixed feelings about the life size groups in the article but if people find them interesting and / or comforting or helpful for jogging peoples' memories and provided they have proper choices, then surely care workers should go for it.

I think it all depends on the state of mind when my mum had her doll she was totally unable to do anything other than make baby talk she couldn’t speak properlyor make herself understood she couldn’t walk, or eat by herself couldn’t hear, couldn’t see much I think holding and touching and stroking, kissing something was a huge comfort for her of course it doesn’t take away human contact and I visited her every day after work
Of course if she’d have been mentally efficient it would have been patronising and completely wrong but there is a place for dolls
Not so sure about the life size ones if they are used to admired the workmanship and encourage conversation fine but just sitting there then no

I so agree M0nica. and ...'how much pleasure they could bring to elderly ladies'
get me outa here. oh dear oh dear oh dear.

I nursed the elderly for almost 30 years and this was never a question. My sister is in a nursing home now and would be absolutely horrified if someone gave her a doll to hold. She was a nursery nurse and loves babies and children visiting but a doll no not at all.

I find the new born dolls very creepy. In fact I find all doll and puppets really creepy, hate them.

If the idea is for company what about regular visits from therapy dogs or other animals if preferred.

How very sad. There was a thread not long ago which featured life-size dolls being taken for walks by seemingly normal people. I thought it was a hoax. Apparently not.

I suppose it might help those with dementia, perhaps something to focus on is what they need.

I find it a bit patronising too. Just because you're old doesn't mean you haven't had an amazing and interesting life. Get them chatting about that and showing photos of their youth.

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Mixed feelings about this. My elderly aunt (who didn't have dementia) had a doll she used to dress and sit and cuddle. As I've always been more of a teddy sort of person I thought it was a bit odd and so did my mum so when my mum went into care I don't think she would have been very interested in a newborn doll but there were several residents in there who I think would have been. I do think they help in some cases.

If it was me I'd like one of the curled up replica cats you can get now to sit on the end of my bed - I'd get one now but think my real cat would be unimpressed with an imposter.

This is an exhibition to spark conversation. Looks good. Not the same as people having life size dolls all the time which does sound rather sad and weird.

Gonegirl

Sorry, thought that’s what we were talking about, and I was only talking about dementia patients, I agree it would be patronising otherwise

It would be worthwhile to 'experiment' with dolls/figures. If they were available, residents could make their own choices.