Reborn Doll Therapy For Alzheimer’s Disease

Lets face it, most people choose to own reborns simply because they're cute, adorable and make great collectibles. You can dress them up, create a nursery with them or just show them off to your friends and family members. While there's no denying the fact that reborns make the perfect collectible for people of all ages, they may also be a helpful tool in treating individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of progressive dementia. If you or someone you know is suffering from dementia, you should consider using reborn doll therapy as a form of treatment.

Reborn Therapy

Dolls possess the unique ability to brighten someone's day just by holding them. Young children frequently name their dolls and play games like dress up or tea parties with them, as it helps to comfort them by creating artificial company. If you're the parent of a little girl, chances are you've probably seen her talking and playing her dolls at one point or another. The type of behavior is perfectly fine and can actually be therapeutic for their mental and social development. However, once reborn dolls started popping up in the early 90s, people began to see first-hand how these lifelike dolls were able to calm and relax not only children but adults as well.

Reborn Dolls and Alzheimer's

Researchers working with the British Psychological Society Conference recently presented some information regarding the therapeutic benefits of reborn dolls on Alzheimer's patients. They found that reborns were effective at reducing the agitation caused by the on-set of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. When a patient suffering from dementia was given a reborn doll to hold and play with, they were naturally relaxed and less likely to experience an agitated outburst.

While the benefits of dolls have been known for quite some time, no one in the medical profession could have expected such a profound result from reborn dolls. After the finding from the British Psychological Society Conference were posted, several other nursery homes and hospitals ventured into reborn doll therapy with huge success. There are now numerous places that incorporate reborn dolls into their dementia therapy programs.

So, how exactly are reborn dolls able to alleviate agitation caused by Alzheimer's? The truth is that no one knows exactly how reborn dolls are able to accomplish this, but several medical professionals believe it's due in part to the brain's memory mechanics that takes the individual back to a happy time in their life. Many female Alzheimer's patients were or are still mothers, so holding a lifelike reborn doll reminds them of all the joys associated with motherhood. It's this memory-triggering mechanism that could potentially be the key to treating outbursts in Alzheimer's patients.

Alzheimer's Facts and Statistics:

Over 5 million people living in the U.S. alone are suffering from Alzheimer's. Unless a cure or better treatment is discovered, that number could rise to 15 million by 2050.
Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.
Total cost of long-term treatment and care for Alzheimer's patients is estimated to be roughly $200 billion annually.
One in eight older Americans suffer from Alzheimer's.

How To Perform "Reborn Doll Therapy"

Because information on reborn doll therapy is limited at best, some people may not know where to start. The truth is that there's really no "wrong" way to perform reborn doll therapy. If a friend or family member is suffering from dementia, see how they respond when a reborn doll is placed in front of them. Hopefully, they will have a positive response and even grow to love and appreciate their new doll.

Reborn doll therapy is typically limited to women suffering from Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, so you should probably pass on giving it to men. This is simply because women suffering from the disease were likely mothers themselves, and the sight and feel of a reborn doll triggers the happy memories from an earlier time.

According to studies, reborn doll therapy is best performed during the early stages of Alzheimer's when the patient when they can talk, communicate and play with the reborn. During the early stages of the disease, most patients should retain their motor and vocal skills, allowing them to bond with the reborn. You can still try to perform reborn doll therapy in the later stages, but most people have seen limited success as the disease progresses.

Some nursing homes and hospitals give their Alzheimer's patients a set time where they can see and play with reborn dolls, while others allow them to have their own personal reborn dolls. It's unclear which method works best, but I recommend giving the patient their own reborn, as this will increase the chances of a bond forming.