By Marvin Scott
Pix11 News Contributor
The shaky voice of an elderly woman cradling a toy doll exclaims, “That’s my girl!”
That girl, a child’s doll that is reviving the life of a 92-year-old woman with dementia.
“Isn’t she pretty? That’s my baby,” she bellows.
Henrietta Murphy lovingly cradles the so-called Therapy Doll that has become her constant companion. Her daughter says the doll has brought about a remarkable change in her mother since she began experiencing the ravages of dementia four years ago.
Patricia Stark remembers, “It kept being a downward progression. One thing after another. She stopped talking, she stopped interacting, she lost all desire for doing things. Then after connecting with the doll she started remembering certain words and talking to the doll more than she was talking to me.”
Sitting on the porch of her home in Rockland County, New York, Patricia teases her mother, “She keeps you company, doesn’t she?” she asks. “Oh yes, that’s my girl,” Henrietta responds. “She’s always by my side all the time “She’s always smiling.”
Henrietta’s Therapy Doll and others just like it are part of a donation by a senior advocacy group to senior care facilities across the country. Their reward is seeing the impact the dolls are having on dementia patients.
Scott Miller, CEO of Senior Consulting Advisors says, “The overriding benefits are a sense of purpose, a sense of belonging, a reduction of anxiety, and a more meaningful existence. She was awakened,” he declares, adding “Her motherly instincts kicked in. She immediately started to engage with this baby and all of a sudden started to demonstrate a sense of true purpose.”
Patricia engages her mother sitting in a wheelchair, “She’s with you all the time now,” she prompts. “Yeah, she’s always by my side, all the time. She’s always smiling, see how pretty she is,” exclaims Henrietta.
Patricia says, “I was shocked at how she responded to the doll. It was like a light bulb went off or a shade in a dark room went up. She was just different again. She seems content. She seems to have sense of purpose. She has a companion. I feel I got a piece of my old mom back again.”
Henrietta smiles and laughs as she sits with her daughter. Patricia is grateful to be with her mom. She says, “So great to watch her giggle and chuckle and coo with this baby. Oh, I think it is the way she was when I was a baby. It’s like witnessing her as a mom that I didn’t get to see when I was that infant.”
Scott Miller, who identifies himself as a certified dementia practitioner, provides these therapy dolls as part of a grant to Memory Care communities throughout the country. He explains, “We donate the dolls to places that support dementia and Alzheimer therapies, including assisted living communities, nursing facilities, hospitals, and the home environment.”
Henrietta cradles her doll like an innocent child once more as she drifts off to sleep. Miller observes, “Therapy dolls are more than comfort objects. They are bridges to memory, dignity, and calm. They can ease anxiety, reduce agitation, and bring out nurturing instincts in people with dementia.”
With no risk of medical interaction or side effects, doll therapy is seen as a worthwhile option, as an approach to challenging behaviors, as well as a way to potentially improve the life of those living with Alzheimers.
Henrietta bubbles with joy as she lovingly clutches her Therapy Doll and exclaims,
“Isn’t she beautiful? That’s my girl!”
For information on how to gain access to a Therapy Doll, you can call
Senior Consulting Advisorsat 800 969-7176 or visit: seniorconsultingadvisor.com
