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My mom is 86 with dementia. I had been told that giving her a baby doll may help to giver her a sense of purpose and fill her day. Mom always loved babies so it seemed to make sense. So I got mom a doll. My life has grown exponentially harder since the addition of the "baby". Even though I have provided her with safe places to put her baby, mom will not leave the baby alone. This translates to her constantly calling me into the room to babysit. Mom lives with me and I work from home. Life is a constant struggle to get any work done while caring for ma. Now that I have an "infant" to care for - life is even more of a struggle. She loves her baby - obviously I can not take it away from her now that she has it. Any suggestions?

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How about a baby sling? Then Mom can carry it all the time. Mother had a neighbor when she was last in rehab that had a stuffed bear. It was a real comfort to her and helped calm her when she got anxious.
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My mom lived in dementia care for a couple years. We bought her a little white stuffed dog that looked exactly like her beloved Maltese dog Chessie. Mom loved it! She never went anywhere without Chessie after that and seemed very comforted holding the toy. Towards the end, I'm not sure she knew it was not the real Chessie. She died holding the fluffy white dog in her arms and we sent it with her to the funeral home so she could hold Chessie forever.
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For a number of years while my mother was in a care center because of the extreme personal circumstances of her care, I observed a resident who was over one hundred years old go from anxiety and screaming in her wheel chair in the hall or her room daily. Then one of the main nurses decided to present her with a doll. From then on she would cuddle and wrap the doll in a blanket, kiss it's little head, and was content. No more screaming, and hollering help me, etc. To me that was a blessing in disguise, for not only did it make her feel needed and secure in some unknown fashion, but it made others around her breath a sigh of relief. She was happier now. So if one has to help with keeping the doll assessable for it's keeper, that might be a small sacrifice of time, compared to living without the baby doll. Hang in there. Best wishes for you and yours. here is a hug for you. joylee
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Tell you mom that it is nap time for her and her 'baby'. The baby needs a lot of sleep. So when she put the baby to bed and she takes a nap, maybe you can get some work done. Good luck.
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LoLoKoKo22 that is the most precious thing ever. I know the puppy was real to her. I buried my dad with a Phillie's hat, but he did not have dementia. What a dilemma this poor Trying To Cope has now. I can't imagine.
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When my mom was going through a very anxious and clingy phase I bought here a teddy bear in the desperate hope that it would distract her and give her something else to focus on. My mom has no short term memory but her mind is pretty good otherwise and I figured she would probably reject it, but "Buddy" is her constant bedtime companion now. It doesn't hurt to try.
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Sorry I can't give any helpful advice. What little knowledge I have is from the Assisted Living Dementia unit my husband was in. One woman had a doll, carried it with her all the time, she was a very quiet woman who took 'good care' of her baby. Another woman had a large purse that she carried all the time, holding the strap in her hand or slung over her shoulder. She was a very happy sweet person. These items seemed to have a calming effect on the ladies, I feel.
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It does work and has a calming effect. My mom likes to carry around a stuffed toy dog that she had from childhood. We also have 2 small dogs that she just loves and they help her a lot.
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Maybe put up a real baby gate across the doorway to whatever room you work in, and say no babies can come to work, and that you can't do babysitting at same time you are at work. Does your mom realize you are working? I also work from home, no regular hours, just endless work, and weave it together with caring for my mom. It's a wonderful thing for your mom to have this baby.
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I work in a memory care and one of my residents LOVE babydolls!! We let her have it all day and she takes care of it, walks it in her walker, and even tries to feed it( gotta keep the mouth clean). If you ask her what it's name is, she says a different time each time! Would recommend getting one.
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