Baby Love: Therapy for Alzheimer’s Sufferers

Caregivers rightly have an aversion to treating older adults like children, even when the effects of dementia render them child-like. But here’s a wonderful exception that Alzheimer’s patients enjoy: Try giving a woman in the later stages of dementia a baby doll.

Surprisingly, an “Alzheimer’s baby” helps someone with dementia feel like a functional adult (not a patronized child). And that brings feelings of satisfaction, pleasure, calm, and accomplishment. Cuddling a doll soothes and entertains, reducing aggression. Pretty good, as dementia activities go.

I’ll never forget bringing my daughter Page, then about 15 months old, to her older sister’s Brownie troop outing at a local nursing home. Page was in a huge baby phase–she gravitated toward babies, whether real, toy, or pictured in board books. So of course she quickly noticed the elderly resident sitting in a corner with a baby doll in her arms. Page made a beeline.

I hesitated, wondering what might ensue. (Confusion on Page’s part as to why a grown-up had a doll? A tussle over it?) But the woman smiled and tenderly showed off her “baby” to Page. She even let her hold it. (Which my 15-month-old did tenderly!). The two of them communed a common wavelength for almost 20 minutes while the Brownies sang songs.

“Dolls can create miracles,” says architectural gerontologist Mark Warner, founder of Ageless Design and The Alzheimer’s Store. “They allow people who are no longer able to communicate to once again say that they’re hungry, need to go to the bathroom, are uncomfortable, often using the doll as their tool: ‘My baby is cold.’ Also a parent’s need to nurture and care for another reappears, at a time when it seems they’re the ones needing all the care.”

(Pets and stuffed animals can have similar effects, but for obvious reasons, babies work magic with women.)

The Alzheimer’s Store, which sells anything a family dealing with dementia might need, all carefully culled by Warner, has a survey up to help pick which baby dolls to stock. Vote for your three favorites and get 10 percent off your next order. I voted for Sunny and Kelly, the dark-haired thumbsuckers though I’m most fond of bald baby dolls (not among the choices). From personal experience as the mom of three girls, they’re easier to wash. Baby-doll hair tends to stick up in funny ways after awhile, though maybe only when little girls are dragging them around. Experienced “mommies” probably take better care of their Alzheimer’s babies. I suppose I’m also partial to baldies because three of my four babies were born that way (the other was, you guessed it, a dark-haired thumbsucker!).

I wonder whether the Alzheimer’s patients click best with baby dolls who look most like their own?

Baby Love: Therapy for Alzheimer’s Sufferers originally appeared on Caring.com.

Caring.com was created to help you care for your aging parents, grandparents, and other loved ones. As the leading destination for eldercare resources on the Internet, our mission is to give you the information and services you need to make better decisions, save time, and feel more supported. Caring.com provides the practical information, personal support, expert advice, and easy-to-use tools you need during this challenging time.

Paula Spencer, Caring.com

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

New G.

11:32PM PST on Jan 24, 2012

Thank you.

send a green star

Robin H.

12:40PM PST on Mar 9, 2011

Very interesting. I know several women with Alzheimer's that carry/carried dolls. I always contributed it to reverting back to childlike behavior. Learn something new everyday.

Rachel B.

9:07AM PST on Jan 28, 2011

I also work with these patients. I have always been a huge fan of bringing my small dog to work, as many (but not all) of the residents act similarly with animals. I am currently pregnant and not working but when I have the baby I plan to take both my daughter and my dog into senior centers. It's good for everybody involved.

Lin M.

5:26AM PST on Dec 3, 2010

My aunt always carried a doll and now I know why she did that.

Melissah C.

11:57PM PDT on Oct 26, 2010

thanks

KS G.

5:15AM PDT on Oct 26, 2010

Thanks for the article.

10:23PM PDT on Oct 25, 2010

I'm exercising my mind. I walk a lot. I eat almost right. I don't put traumatized flesh into my body.

I know the God who healed me. See my profile.

The most important thing I can do to keep from getting "old timers" is to TRUST Him and I do.

But he has me eat right, walk, exercise, use my mind, learn new things and trust Him.

One of these days, I'm going to just walk on home with Jesus. Meanwhile, I'm going to do all the good I can right here.

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