A pilot study on the use of dolls for people with dementia.

The dynamic gait index relates to self-reported fall history in individuals with vestibular dysfunction. Associations of visual function with physical outcomes and limitations 5 years later in an older population: The Beaver Dam study. Fear of falling and fall-related efficacy in relationship to functioning among community-living elders. Lower extremity function and subsequent disability: consistency across studies, pre-dictive models, and value of gait speed alone compared with the short physical performance battery. A pilot study on the use of dolls for people with dementia † SIR—There are many anecdotal reports and brief case studies concerning the positive impact of doll therapy on the lives of elderly people with dementia [1–6]. Despite increasing support, there is a paucity of literature examining what the goals of doll therapy are, how it is best implemented and how it affects patients. This pilot project, the first systematic study in the area, examined the use of dolls in two Elderly Mentally Ill (EMI) homes. Methodology Participants Fourteen dolls were introduced into two homes. All residents (n = 37) were given the opportunity to choose one of the dolls. Once a resident selected a doll, his/her interaction was monitored by staff over a 3-to 6-week period. Twelve women and two men used a doll. See profiles in Table 1. All staff in the homes were invited to participate; the response rate was 96% in home 1 and 79% in home 2 (total n = 46 staff). The homes were registered as EMI social care, and neither home employed qualified staff. Design Before the introduction of the dolls, an RMN (L.M., first author) visited each home and discussed the use of dolls with the manager and the staff and left an article on the approach [6] at the home. Assent was obtained from at least one family member. The dolls were introduced into the homes by placing them on a table in the lounge area. Residents were free to 'pick them up' from the table. After a minimum period of 3 weeks, L.M. returned to the home to administer questionnaires to the staff. A five-item questionnaire, completed by all 46 staff, contained general questions about the approach (e.g. overall impression of the use of dolls and general benefits). A 14-item questionnaire, an extended version of the five-item questionnaire, composed of both quantitative and qualitative questions, was completed by the key workers (n = 14) of residents using a …