MODULE TITLE: RESEARCH METHOD

MODULE CODE: HS 1111

MODULE TUTOR: OLATUNDE AREMU

STUDENT NUMBER: U1233541

RESEARCH TOPIC
AN EXPLORATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF
NURSES AND PUBLIC ON AUTOMATED DOLL THERAPY FOR
TREATING DEMENTIA PATIENTS

BY
OLAYINKA OMOWUMI

1.0 Introduction
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The Department of Health (2010) and several empirical studies have shown
that there is a growing rate of people living with dementia in United Kingdom
(Mackenzie, et al., 2007; James et al., 2005). Dolls therapy is cheaper given
the current health policy of the UK government. Secondly, dolls generally
provide companion, comfort and sensory stimulation for dementia patients
(Nehinbe and Benson, 2013).

The central issue here is that dolls therapy can be categorized into two
generic groups. Dolls intervention has been applied manually over the years.
However, Nehinbe and Benson (2013) identify some critical flaws of such
therapeutic approach. Hence, the scholars propose automated dolls therapy
for a number of reasons. Despite the significant of the latter method, there is
inconclusive research evidence to validate the efficacy of both methods.
Hence, this research proposes a comparative analysis of both methods from the perceptions of
nurses and the general public for objective analysis of these new research issues. The remainders
of the paper are organized as follows: section 1.1 gives the background of the topic. Section 1.2
is the statement of the problem, sections 1.3 and 1.4 are the aims and objectives, sections 1.5 and
1.6 are the research questions and rationale for conducting the research. Section 1.7 is the
research method; section 1.8 is the time table and section 1.9 concludes the research paper.

1.1.

Background / literature review

Dementia is a condition of gradual declination in the mental capability of a

person. Dementia is prevalent among aged people. Doll therapy has been
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discovered for over two decades. However,

the debate on using dolls to

threat dementia patients often provoke two strong opposing views between
nurses and the general public especially with determination of the UK
government to reduce the financial budget of health sector in a recent year.
This development is no more about the significant of doll therapy. Instead,
the development is to assist building an important bridge between the two
opposing perspectives and to show how dolls therapy can be used effectively
to achieve tremendous positive results. Manual and automated procedures
are two major trends in the adoption of dolls therapy to treat dementia
patients over the years.
1.1.1.

Manual dolls therapy

According to the research performed by Mitchell and ODonnell (2013),

empirical evidence about dolls therapy for managing dementia patients are
enormous in the last 20 years. For instance, (Ellingford et al., 2007) adopt
mixed methods to retrospectively examine the effects of dolls before and
after they are applied to treat dementia patients. Reactions of the
respondents are obtained within three months before and after the
intervention are applied to dementia patients (Ellingford et al., 2007). The
sample population is 66 participants that are residents in four care homes
with historic case of doll therapy in Newcastle. The care homes are approximately
equal in size and they contain registered mentally ill facilities for the aged patients. The dolls
are plastic with a soft torso between 16 to 20 inches long and they are
distinguished with different colors of clothes.

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The analysis are based on the reported cases of aggressive behaviors

recorded by nurses on daily communication records, dosages of neuroleptic
medication administered to patients over a period of 3 months of the study
and positive and negative conduct recorded by nurses in their daily
communication records (Ellingford et al., 2007)
This research has recorded a significant success story. For instance, the statistical evaluations of
its data ascertain that dolls can significantly alter the behavior of patients living with dementia.
Nonetheless, the veracity of the size of the population sample adopted in this research to make
potent empirical affirmation about the research problem is still subjected to series of debates.

Mackenzie, et al (2006) explores the impacts and best methods applying dolls to treat age and
aging patients living with dementia. The data are gathered using a set of questionnaire
administered to two categories of aged patients in mental homes. In addition, 14 dolls are
administered to 37 patients and 46 nurses in two mental homes. The participants have the choice
to any doll of their choice (Mackenzie et al, 2006) and they are monitored within 3 to 6 weeks.
A critical assessment of the responses obtained showed that dolls corroborates the fact that
positive and significant impacts on dementia patients (James et al 2006; Gibson, 2005; Verity,
2006). However, empirical claims have generally shown that there are series of negative impacts
of manual dolls therapy.
Higgins (2010) demonstrates that dolls therapy is constantly associated with inbuilt challenges.
James et al (2006) affirm that there are growing cases whereby nurses and careers have difficulty
to separate patients from their dolls. Besides, some patients give out their private resources such
as bedrooms and clothes to their dolls (Higgins, 2010).

1.1.2.

Automated dolls therapy

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Automated dolls therapy is an emerging research area in managing

dementia patients. Nehinbe and Benson (2013) use interview technique to
investigate the methodology of applying dolls therapy to treat dementia
patients. Consequently, they propose possibility of adopting automated to
lessen the negative impacts that are associated with manual dolls therapy.
The researchers propose the need to automate dolls by preparing them as
slides and uploaded into multimedia resources. In addition, 34 mental health
practitioners together with 26 friends and family of people living with
dementia participate in the study and their experience within in-patient
wards across North, East, West or South of England is sought (Nehinbe and
Benson, 2013). Responses are clarified to improve the reliability, accuracy
and validity of the data and the results are statistically analyzed.
Importantly, the research underpinned that automated dolls therapy is better than the manual
dolls therapy for managing dementia patients. One of the significant of this study is that it
receives moral endorsement from the friends, families and careers of dementia patients about
doll therapy.
Nevertheless, the cost of the therapy when compared to the numbers of the beneficiaries in each
hospital or mental home is a major drawback that will face this method will in other to achieve
wider acceptability of the government and health policy makers in UK.

1.2. Statement of the problem

Empirical studies have shown that the number of dementia patients in the
UK will significantly increase in the next two decades. This is suffices to
say that the annual cost of treating dementia patients in the UK is
expected to exceed the 8.2 billion spent in the recent year (Higgins,
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2010). Thus, the UK government is expected to spend huge amount of

money on pharmacological interventions to deliver effective health
services to the dementia patients. However, the UK government has
decided to trim down the health budget due to the ongoing economic
recession. Consequently, nurses and other health professionals are
challenged to consider the use of dolls therapy as non-pharmacological
therapy to manage social problems that people with dementia often
experience. Dolls therapy is an intervention involving dementia patients to
play with toys to reduce their emotional problems. Empirical studies show
that dolls therapy has been therapeutic.

Effectiveness that can alleviate distress and promote comfort in dementia

patients. Despite the aforementioned claims, the methodological aspect of
doll therapy is poorly understood for several moral questions. The
research will also provide empirical evidence about the perceptions of
nurses and general public on manual and automated methods for
administrating the therapy to expose ethical dilemmas that are involved in
the methodological aspect of the therapy.
Furthermore, I intend to draft my questionnaires and the interview
questions I will use to gather my data upon approval. Subsequently, the
questionnaires and the interview questions will be administered to the
respondents and the data analyzed thereafter. The time table to be
followed in conducting and completing the research is highlighted in
section 1.8 of this report.

1.3.

Aim of the research

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To critically evaluate the opinions of nurses and the general public about
automated doll therapy for treating dementia patients in UK, which can
potentially contribute to effective performance and efficiency of the therapy
and UK governments policies on dementia.

1.4.
I.

Research objectives

To critically review and analyze relevant literature with the view to review the
weaknesses, strengths and mitigation strategies about the existing methods
of applying dolls therapy upon the completion of the research.

II.

To classify and examine various opinions of nurses and general public about
automated doll therapy in UK.

III.

To determine whether there is any correlation between the perceptions of

nurses and the general public about automated doll therapy for treating
people living with dementia in UK upon the completion of the research.

IV.

To make recommendations to the UK government on how to maximize the

resources that are generally committed to the administration of dolls therapy
in the treatment of dementia patients upon the completion of the research.

1.5.

Research questions

This research intends to answer the following questions:

A. What are the perceptions of nurses about automated doll therapy in UK

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B. What are the perceptions of the general public about automated doll therapy
UK?
C. Is there any correlation between the perceptions of nurses and the general
public about automated doll therapy in UK?

1.6.

Rationale for conducting the research

The numbers of aged people that are diagnosed to have dementia are
growing in the UK (Higgins, 2010). However, research has shown that the UK
government is reluctant to expend huge resources on the treatment of old
dementia patients since old dementia patients are often regarded as less
productive members of the society (Higgins, 2010).

Furthermore, the studies conducted by Mitchell and ODonnell (2013)

rigorously substantiate the fact that the existing guidelines for developing a
doll therapy policy are flawed. For these reasons, dolls therapy is proposed.
Nevertheless, there is conflicting evidence about the negative and positive
effects of doll therapy for treating dementia patients.

1.7.

Research Methodology

This research will use mixed methods to improve the veracity, reliability and
validity of the results of the research. The sample population will be
respondents recruited from London, Belfast and Manchester.

1.7.1.

Method of data collection

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This research intends to adopt qualitative and quantitative methods to

gather the required data. Qualitatively, I will use unstructured telephone
interviews to gather the opinions of the respondents on the research topic.
This will help to uncover some hidden trends on the research topic and
acquire deeper opinions of the respondents on the research problem.
Quantitatively, I propose to quantify the research problem by administering
questionnaires to generate numerical data about the sample population that
are used for the research topic, transform and to interpret the data
statistically. I will also review relevant literature on the research topic. I will consult books,
Journals and conference papers to analyze the trend associated with the treatment of dementia
patients with doll therapy over the years.

1.7.2.

Method of data analysis

The data obtained from the interview will be transcribed concurrently while
the interview is in progress. Thereafter, its analysis will be guided
interpretatively. The questionnaire will be statistically analyzed using
statistical mean and standard deviation. Correlations within the entire data
will be sought to explicate the above research questions.

1.7.3.

Limitation and scope of the study

The research will be conducted within the selected sample population. The
results to be obtained in this research are limited to the duration and
research methods employed to gather the responses of the respondents.
Another key limitation of the research is its naturalistic purpose. Variables
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that will be difficult to manipulate include the size, experience and the
number of residents recruited for the research.

1.8.

Time table
S/N

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

1.9.

Event
Proposal
Literature review
Data gathering and field work
Analysis of results
Writing report

Duration
Start date End date
15/03/2014
15/09/2014
15/10/2014
15/11/2014
15/12/2014

20/04/2014
10/10/2014
10/11/2014
10/12/2014
10/02/2015

Conclusion

This research proposal has discussed the topic of the research, research
objectives and the research questions that will be answered to achieve the
above research aim. Moreover, I have discussed the limitations of the study,
research method and time table to be adopted and how the data will be
analyzed and reported.

Reference
Ellingford, J., Mackenzie, L., Marsland, L, (2007) Using dolls to alter
behavior in patients with dementia, Nursing Times, Vol. 103(5), pp. 36-37.

Gibson, S. (2005) A personal experience of successful doll therapy, Journal of

Dementia Care, Vol. 13, Issue 3, pp. 22-23.

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Higgins, P. (2010) Using dolls to enhance the wellbeing of people with

dementia in residential care, Nursing Times, Vol. 106(39), pp. 18-20.

James, I., Mackenzie, L., Mukaetova-Ladinska.E, (2006) Doll use in care

homes for people with dementia. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry,
Vol. 21, Issue 11, pp. 1093-1098.

Mitchell, G. and ODonnell, H, (2013) the therapeutic use of doll therapy in

dementia, British Journal of Nursing, Vol. 22, No 6

Mackenzie, L., James, I. and Morse, R., Mukaetova-Ladinska, E. and

F.K. Reichelt, F.K,(2006), a pilot study on the use of dolls for people with
dementia, Journal of Age Ageing, Vol. 35, pp. 441-444.
Mackenzie, L., Wood-Mitchell, A, and James, I, (2007), Guidelines on using
dolls. Journal of Dementia Care, Vol. 15, Issue 1, pp. 26-27.

Moore, D. (2001), its like a gold medal and its minedolls in dementia
care, Journal of Dementia Care, Vol. 9, Issue 6, pp. 20-22.

Nehinbe, J. and J. Benson, J, (2013), Automated Doll Therapy for Managing

Dementia Patients, Canadian Geriatrics Journal, Vol. 16, Issue 4, December
2013.

Verity, J. (2006) Dolls in dementia care: bridging the divide, Journal of

Dementia Care, Vol. 14, Issue 1, pp. 2527.

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Department of Health (2010), Quality Outcomes for Patients with Dementia:

Building on the Work of the National Dementia Strategy. HMSO, London

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