Contents:
- Medical Video: Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong | Johann Hari
- Overview of Alzheimer's disease
- Play dolls help overcome symptoms of Alzheimer's or dementia
- How are dolls believed to help reduce Alzheimer's symptoms?
Medical Video: Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong | Johann Hari
Dolls are very identical as a collection or toy for girls. Not just entertaining, playing dolls has a myriad of benefits, especially in supporting children's growth and development. Apparently, the benefits also affect the elderly, especially to treat Alzheimer's or dementia patients. How can dolls overcome the symptoms of Alzheimer's?
Overview of Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease is a condition of decreased brain function, especially in memory and the ability to think, communicate, or make judgments that interfere with daily activities. This disease usually occurs in people who are 65 years or older.
As the disease progresses, the worse memory makes it difficult for Alzheimer's patients to recognize families. Most patients also have other physical conditions that require the help of people around them in their activities and to care for themselves.
Although it cannot be cured, Alzheimer's symptoms can still be managed with medication and therapy. However, care for patients is not arbitrarily given. Care must be adjusted to the patient's body condition, how severe the disease is, how effective the drug works, and whether the caregiver or person is indeed focused on caring for it.
Play dolls help overcome symptoms of Alzheimer's or dementia
Therapy that is being developed to treat Alzheimer's symptoms is doll therapy. In various developed countries, nursing homes for the elderly with Alzheimer's have used this method to calm patients. In fact, dolls that are usually children's toys are believed to have a good effect on people with Alzheimer's.
Reporting from WebMD, Ruth Drew, director of information, services and support for the Alzheimer’s Association said, "Many people with Alzheimer's feel bored and may become depressed, anxious, or unhappy because they are not involved in many activities".
How are dolls believed to help reduce Alzheimer's symptoms?
These dolls can improve a patient's mood, soothe them from anxiety, and give a sense of friendship when the patient feels isolated from those around him who are hard to remember.
Then, playing dolls also makes the elderly who cannot participate in many activities feel needed and useful because they are responsible for caring for the doll. Moreover, dolls also reduce the patient's loneliness by bringing back the happy memories of patients when they are parents.
Unfortunately, research that supports this is still very limited. Only female patients can do it, and some do not agree with the therapy of this doll. The patient's family is worried about how the people around him respond. They feel that dolls are toys for children so they are not suitable for therapy for patients who are very old.
In addition, other possibilities of doll therapy can also worsen the patient's condition. For example, a patient who is already very attached to a doll will experience anxiety when the puppet is damaged or not beside it.
So, they prefer to improve brain function and relieve Alzheimer's symptoms with art and music as therapy. In fact there are still many other activities that can be used as therapy, such as gardening, dancing, or caring for pets.
However, Drew did not prohibit if patients still want to do doll therapy. As long as the doll can provide comfort to the patient. Moreover, this method is included as safe to improve the quality of life for people with Alzheimer's, although existing research shows no strong evidence. The most important thing is the role of the family to always support and be beside Alzheimer's patients.
