How baby dolls are helping calm and relax dementia patients

Meet the grandmother finding peace through an unconventional treatment that's challenging traditional care approaches.

Elizabeth Ziogas has been living in the high care unit of her aged care facility since 2023.

Diagnosed with dementia in 2020, her husband Arthur visits her every day without fail. But it’s a tiny plastic doll, dressed in a pink hat, that has provided a surprising amount of comfort to Mrs Ziogas.

“We decided to introduce doll therapy to her as a way to calm her, relax her and manage her behaviours due to dementia,” Mr Ziogas told news.com.au.

He said his 91-year-old wife, who is a resident of St Basils Lakemba in Sydney’s south west which caters for the Greek community, has two children and three grandchildren, and is reminded of her days as a young mother when she holds the baby doll.

“It really soothes her,” Mr Ziogas said.

“It can calm her when she is crying or shouting as well.”

Elizabeth Ziogas with husband Arthur. Elizabeth is living with dementia and taking part in "doll therapy". Picture: Supplied

Sometimes referred to as “doll therapy” or “empathy dolls”, but more accurately known as “child representation”, the use of cuddly toys or baby dolls has increased in popularity in recent years as research has shown more effective ways of relating to people with dementia.

“The theory behind child representation is that in a lot of forms of dementia – for example, in Alzheimer’s disease – the distant past can be far more real than what they’re experiencing now,” Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cognitive Health at NueRA Dr Nikki-Anne Wilson, who is throwing her support behind news.com.au and The Australian’s Think Again campaign, said.

Dementia’s pervasive presence has made it a defining challenge of modern healthcare in Australia, with more than 433,000 people estimated to be living with the condition.

The most prevalent form is Alzheimer’s disease, accounting for the majority (between 60 and 70 per cent) of cases.

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The past decade has heralded a profound shift away from the traditional, task-focused medical model of care. Today, the gold standard is “person-centred” care, a philosophy that places the unique identity, values, and personal history of the individual at the heart of their support, acknowledging that selfhood persists despite cognitive decline. This focus prioritises dignity, respect, and engagement over mere maintenance.

Elizabeth Ziogas with a St Basil's Lakemba aged care worker. Picture: Supplied

The aged care facility introduced dolls as therapy about a decade ago. Picture: Supplied

“Some people with Alzheimer’s disease might think that they’re a younger version of themselves,” Dr Wilson said.

“Child representation therapy can address that, and help with the sense of distress that comes with it. For example they might feel sometimes that they’ve forgotten their child, or they’ve left their baby unattended.” she said.

“They might even have hallucinations or delusions where they hear a baby crying and they’ve lost their baby, so a doll can actually provide a lot of comfort.”

Dr Wilson said that while the dolls may be toys, we should resist the idea of infantilising people with dementia, or the idea that they’re being used in the same way we would provide a toy to a child.

“They are a tool or an aid to support someone when they’re feeling distressed or agitated,” she said.

“They feel like they might have lost their baby, or they’re finding comfort from caring for something, because they’re reliving those memories of caring for their own children, and that’s very real to them.

“It’s not a toy, it’s just another way of providing comfort and addressing the changes in the brain that are leading to this distress.”

Mr Ziogas said the doll helps calm and relax his wife. Picture: Supplied

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cognitive Health atNueRA Dr Nikki-Anne Wilson.

St Basil’s Leisure and Lifestyle Manager Chrystofora Lykopantis said they introduced dolls for their dementia patients at all their residential facilities about 10 years ago.

“We have found they help to reduce anxiety and agitation among our residents and give them a sense of purpose, being able to provide care for the doll,” Ms Lykopantis said.

“The tactile nature of the doll provides a sense of comfort and security and also provides memories for many of our residents of their own children when they were small.”

And it’s not just the female residents who benefit from child representation.

“Not everyone is going to respond well to an empathy doll, but I do know it’s not a gender-based therapy – it works for both men and women,” Dr Wilson said.

“Men have often had children and cared for children as well. It’s more about whether it’s right for the individual.

“You need to introduce it and watch how the person reacts, so if you’ve got a parent or someone who you think this might be good for, introduce the doll carefully and see how they respond to it,” she said.

“That’s always going to be the best way to determine whether it’s right for that person.

“When we’re talking about dementia care, it’s always really important to focus on person centred care,” Dr Wilson said.

“We always want to do what’s right for the person with dementia, because obviously not all people with dementia are the same.”