Beebe Healthcare Introduces Doll Therapy as a Therapeutic Tool in Caring for Patients with Memory Loss
Patients who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or other memory loss conditions can easily become confused, agitated, irritable, and even destructive. It is important for physicians, nurses, therapists, and other clinicians who care for these patients to have access to activities and tools that can divert attention to something positive and calming. Now at Beebe Healthcare, one of those tools is a baby doll.
Early this year, with support from Beebe Medical Foundation, Beebe invested in the launch of a new Doll Therapy Program. Baby dolls, along with a bottle, doll clothing, and a doll blanket, are given to patients diagnosed with memory loss, as a form of therapy. The dolls provide distraction, comfort, and a sense of purpose. They reduce feelings of stress and loneliness, and often successfully shift focus away from the fact that the patient is in the hospital, undergoing treatment for a complex illness.
“Doll therapy is not a new concept, but is definitely newer in hospital environments, and we are incredibly proud to have this program now available here at Beebe,” said Logan Jarrell, BSN, RN, NICHE Coordinator at Beebe. “This is an evidence-based practice, with a lot of research and outcomes reported to demonstrate the positive impact doll therapy can have on the patient experience in the hospital, as well as quality of life, long-term.”
The dolls are acquired through Beebe’s partnership with Angie’s Purpose, a national organization that promotes the benefits of doll therapy in caring for elderly patients who suffer from memory loss diseases. Along with dolls ready for distribution to patients, Angie’s Purpose provides videos, designed to educate both staff and patient families, guidelines for the types of patients who can benefit from receiving a doll, and instructions on how to properly introduce dolls to patients. Dolls are used as a therapy tool for both male and female patients on units across the hospital, and diverse options of dolls are available to choose.
“Many of the patients we are caring for believe the doll is real and become quickly vested in caring for it as if it is their own child,” said Loretta Ostroski, Vice President of Integrative Care and Continuum of Care at Beebe. “In many cases, the doll brings back positive memories for the patient, perhaps from the days when they were raising their own child. It doesn’t take long for family members to see the benefits; they are so grateful for the program when they realize how much joy it is bringing to their loved one.”
Staff at Beebe have also provided positive perspective on the impact of the Doll Therapy Program, in the early phases of its implementation.
“We were recently caring for a patient who was trying to get out of bed and had become very agitated. We decided to introduce a doll, and the patient liked it right away,” said Leeaynne Stewart, Patient Care Technician in the Emergency Department. “The patient relaxed while holding the doll. At one point, the patient fell asleep holding the doll.”
Heather Cassel, Certified Nursing Assistant, had a similar experience while caring for a patient who was admitted to the hospital.
“The patient was actually treating the baby doll like a real baby,” she said. “The patient played with it, checked its diaper, talked to it, and rocked the doll to sleep. I personally love seeing patients benefit from doll therapy, and the feeling that they have something special to care for.”
Jarrell and Ostroski also emphasize the importance of continuity in care, as dolls are introduced to patients. Once distributed to a patient, the doll is theirs to keep and goes along with the patient when they are discharged to go home or transferred to a post-acute care facility. Beebe has strong working relationships with many post-acute facilities in the area and assures the teams who collaborate with the hospital are aware of the Doll Therapy initiative. Many offer similar diversional programs.
“We know how important it is to work together as patients transition between our facilities and to have continuity in our care practices,” said Ostroski. “When our partners at Excelcare were educated about the value and impact of doll therapy, they began to explore how to implement the same program for patients who are admitted to their facility for post-acute care.”
Caption: Logan Jarrell, BSN, RN, NICHE Coordinator, holds a doll that is used for patient care.