A CHSLD in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue is changing the daily lives of veterans suffering from dementia thanks to doll therapy, an approach still little known in Quebec.
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Jean-Paul Spénard, 98, still proudly wears his veteran’s medals, despite his advanced loss of autonomy. It is that he has put on his best clothes for the passage of the Journal, on this Friday morning.
“Riding the doll reminds him, among other things, of when he was raising his daughter. It’s a lot of emotions,” explains Louise Vendette, the instigator of the project.
It is at Saint-Anne Hospital, where she has worked for 20 years, that the psychogeriatric nurse introduces this new approach by using realistic dolls that look like real babies.
“I gradually began to offer training to several staff members who had contact with residents, such as social workers, beneficiary attendants and recreation technicians,” said Ms.me He sold.
Today, at Saint-Anne Hospital, dolls are available on all floors of the establishment, she adds proudly.
realistic dolls
The time to make a doll varies between 30 and 50 hours, according to Mme Vendetta. It is possible to choose between two types of dolls, rigid dolls and cuddly dolls, intended for patients with cognitive disorders.
The dolls are painted by hand, from the hairline to the toes, in order to facilitate cleaning. Some have their eyes closed, which encourages the patient to calm down and gently rock the baby, while others have their eyes wide open and a blissful smile that puts a balm on the hearts of the residents.
An effective therapy
“It is not a question of infantilizing the elderly, as popular belief indicates, but of helping them to awaken their memories linked to childhood and family and to verbalize them”, affirms Louise Vendette.
However, for doll therapy to be effective, it is essential to present it in the right way. This is why it is essential that the practitioner be trained before using the doll with a patient.
“The doll can give back to the person suffering from dementia the possibility of resuming a familiar role which identified him strongly in the past, such as that of father or mother, for example”, she adds.
Thus, a patient who has been silent for years can suddenly sing lullabies, just as a person with Alzheimer’s can remember the birth of their child.
“It allows the elderly to verbalize their memories, their life course and bring comfort and happiness,” says the nurse.
Louise Vendette hopes to implement this approach in other CHSLDs in Quebec in the coming years. A meeting with CAQ MP Marilyne Picard has already taken place to propose the project.