'A sense of responsibility': Winnipeg care facility uses doll therapy for people with Alzheimer's

For residents of a long-term care facility in Winnipeg, a commonplace toy has become a source of joy and companionship.

Recreation therapist Susie NelPiad uses doll therapy to treat people living with Alzheimer's disease and dementia at Actionmargueritein St. Boniface.The therapy includes singing lullabies, putting the dolls to sleep, bathing dolls, changing clothes and taking the dolls for walks using a stroller.

"It gives them a sense of responsibility, it awakens some feelings that they're still capable of loving," she said, adding that doll therapy can also combat sadness and depression.

"It's also a great tool to reminisce about their childhood, to reminisce about their motherhood or fatherhood days."

She said in the minds of many of Actionmarguerite's residents the dolls are real babies, but others are aware that they are interacting with a doll.

"We do not push what the reality is to our residents, but we tend to communicate with them in forms that make sense to them at the moment," she said.

Jose Fournier, manager of Actionmarguerite'sresident services, says the facility is trying to reduce its use of medication for treating physically or verbally violent residents, and redirection techniqueslike doll therapy are part of that process.

"We call it a therapy, because it brings so many good feelings for the residents," she said.

The dolls used duringdoll therapy are closer to the weight of an actual baby than a toy-store doll, and their features are more realistic.

"You want to fight loneliness, you want to fight apathy, you want to fight boredom, the only way of doing this is to keep them busy with activities that mean something to them," Fournier said.

'Treat the elderly with respect'

Nel Piadintroduced doll therapy toActionmargueritefive years ago. She says there are not many places in Manitoba that provide long-term therapy for people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and even fewer use doll therapy.

Initially there was some resistance from staff and family of the residents, she said, which is why Actionmarguerite increased its education about the program.

"We had a difficult start, because not everyone believes in doll therapy. There are many myths,"Nel Piadsaid.

"I'd like to erase in [people's] minds the myth that having baby doll therapy is infantilizing. Or [the thought that we're] treating the elderly as kids when we give them [the] baby. It's how you run baby doll therapy. When you treat the elderly with respect the baby doll doesn't really matter."

In theActionmargueritespecial needs behavioural unit there are 44 people participating in doll therapy, but it's also being used at other Actionmarguerite facilities in Winnipeg, NelPiadsaid.