Effect of doll therapy on wandering symptoms in patients with dementia: A preliminary clinical observation

Abstract

Wandering is a neuropsychiatric symptom of dementia, and it is associated with adverse consequences. Doll therapy (DT) is a non-drug intervention for reducing distressing behaviors among people with dementia. The current study was conducted to determine the effects of DT on wandering in patients with dementia. A one-group including 40 patients with severe dementia was included to measure the impact of DT. The Chinese Revised Algase Wandering Scale-Community Version (CRAWS-CV) was used to evaluate patients each weekend. Results revealed that patients exhibited a clear improvement in CRAWS-CV scores over 4 weeks, especially eloping behavior, meal time walking, pacing, random pattern and aimless pattern scores. The current findings indicate that DT is beneficial for dementia patients with wandering.