Soft toys bring comfort to seniors with dementia
When someone has Alzheimer’s or dementia, they may frequently become anxious or agitated.
An effective, drug-free way to calm and soothe is to give them a soft toy they can cuddle and interact with.
We share some wonderful lifelike robotic pets and explain how they help seniors with dementia, the benefits of a faux pet over a real animal, and why it’s not demeaning to offer someone a stuffed animal to see if they’re interested.
Special robotic pets are lifelike and engaging
We found amazing robotic stuffed toy cats, kittens, and pups called the Joy for All Pet Companions. They’re lifelike and engaging as well as being cute and cuddly soft.
They’re battery powered, so they can purr, meow, bark, move, and respond in realistic ways when petted or hugged.
The 1 minute video above shows how these pets move, “talk,” and respond to petting.
There are 5 different pets to choose from:
These pets are a bit of an investment, but dozens of customers have said that it’s well worth the price to see their older adult so calm, happy, and engaged.
Joy for All orange tabby cat
We’ve seen a Joy for All cat bring cheer to a memory care community
The DailyCaring team had a chance to observe one of the Joy for All robotic cats in action at a local memory care community. The residents loved her!
Some older adults think these are real animals and feel a sense of purpose when they pet and “care” for them. Others may simply enjoy them as a fun, cuddly interactive toy.
No matter what, it’s clear that these toy companion pets add comfort and fun to seniors’ lives.
Benefits of stuffed animals for seniors with dementia
Many caregivers report that after giving their older adult a stuffed animal, they’ve seen positive results like:
- Increased happiness and calm
- Reduced agitation and anxiety
- Increased engagement through playing and talking with the stuffed animal
- Having a sense of purpose from caring for their pet
- Reliving happy memories of a previous pet
- Giving visitors (especially children) something to focus on and interact with for more successful visits
Benefits of a faux pet versus a live animal
Animal therapy is an excellent way to boost mood and calm agitation in people with dementia.
But keeping and caring for a live pet can be challenging for many seniors and caregivers and could even be a tripping hazard.
These animated, lifelike robotic pets are a great way to get the benefits of animal therapy without any of the hassles.
Having a faux pet means:
- Nothing to feed, clean up after, care for, or worry about your older adult overfeeding
- No worries about safety, like biting or getting tripped
- It’s available on demand – anytime, day or night
- No worries about finding a senior living community that accepts live pets
- No need to wait for arranged visits from someone bringing a live animal
Stuffed animals aren’t demeaning
Some people might feel that it’s demeaning to give an older adult a stuffed animal. But if something is a safe source of enjoyment, does it really matter what other people think?
The most important thing is to find out if the person is interested or not. Perhaps offer them a less expensive stuffed cat or dog to see how they respond.
When there are few ways to improve someone’s quality of life, let’s not be so quick to discard a good option because it doesn’t seem age appropriate.
And let’s not forget that there are many healthy adults of all ages who still enjoy stuffed animals.
Next Step See customer reviews and browse the Joy for All Pet Companions (Use discount code CARE15 to get 15% off at checkout)
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- 10 Easy Crafts for Seniors with Dementia: Inexpensive DIY Ideas
By DailyCaring Editorial Team
This article wasn’t sponsored, but does contain affiliate links. We never link to products or services for the sole purpose of making a commission. Recommendations are based on our honest opinions. For more information, see How We Make Money.
Jan Williams
My 107 year older grandma fell and broke her hip. While she was recovering in a rehab center she was given the black and white tuxedo cat as a gift. It seriously saved her from loneliness. Family was unable to visit because of COViD. When we talked with her on the phone she loved to talk about her cat. She named it JoJo and it seriously changed her life. She is now home and on hospice but still tells all of her visitors about her cat. It’s the cutest thing. We are so grateful.
DailyCaring
It’s wonderful to hear that your grandma’s robotic cat kept her company and brought her so much joy when she wasn’t able to have visitors! Thank you for sharing this lovely story ❤️
Ronald W Crawford, Sr.
My mother bought herself something very similar to these probably close to 10 years ago, before her Dementia set in. Of course, while it looks as good as these in appearance, and some of the actions, these do even more and cost quite a bit more than Mom’s did. Mom LOVES it when I bring her kitty to visit her at the nursing home. She loves on it, talks to it (it talks back and plays), plays with it, pets it, cuddles it… and it attracts a lot of attention from the other nursing home residents. Such a simple joy can bring so much happiness to these residents who, for the most part, live very dreadful lives in the Alzheimer’s units. If you ask me, this is one of the best $100 (appx) investment a caring person can give a loved one or friend who is fighting Dementia / Alzheimer’s. I wish I could afford to buy a few dozen of these for every Alzheimer’s unit in every Nursing home – heck, even buy some for those who don’t suffer from this disease. Nursing home residents are very lonely. Some get no visits from friends or family at all, even on holidays. So sad that they must be living such a dreary life. The simplest things, such as these “cats” can bring so much joy.
#Hasbro #JoyforAll
DailyCaring
It wonderful that your mom and the other residents have so much fun with her kitty 🙂 We agree, sometimes the simplest things can bring so much joy 💜