‘Dementia dolls’ create calmer environment at Sturgeon

January 13, 2026

The use of dolls in dementia care is well-documented in medical literature, and staff at Sturgeon Community Hospital say they’re grateful to be able to use them in care. Shown here holding dolls, from left, are: Eleanor Tividad, LPN; Sarah Savard, Unit 15 manager; Jelena Ilic, RN; and Alex Stevens, unit clerk.

The use of dolls in dementia care is well-documented in medical literature, and staff at Sturgeon Community Hospital say they’re grateful to be able to use them in care. Shown here holding dolls, from left, are: Eleanor Tividad, LPN; Sarah Savard, Unit 15 manager; Jelena Ilic, RN; and Alex Stevens, unit clerk. Supplied.

‘They provide comfort, reduce anxiety and offer a sense of purpose for those who feel good from nurturing a baby’

Story by Esther Kim

ST. ALBERT — Dolls are helping dementia care patients find calm and contentment, while staff are benefiting from a safer work environment at Sturgeon Community Hospital.

“Thanks to generosity from our community partners with donations for geriatric care to our Sturgeon Community Hospital Foundation, we were able to purchase dolls for dementia care on our Medicine Units,” says Megan Petryk, Senior Consultant, Patient and Provider Experience.

“The dolls provide comfort, reduce anxiety and agitation and offer a sense of purpose for those who feel good from nurturing a baby. The dolls have helped with creating calmer environments in the hospital and they have also reduced the need for restraints when patients are demonstrating reactive behaviors.”

The use of dolls in dementia care is well-documented in medical literature, and Petryk and her teammates say they’re grateful to be able to use them in hospital care.

“The doll on the right in our photo is approved by Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for dementia care across all patients,” Petryk adds.

“The doll on the left was purchased by our Social Work team lead for a patient who had been benefitting from the doll for several months while he awaited a new living environment. The IPC doll had to be swapped out so he could transition to his new living environment with a doll of his own to reduce the likelihood that he would demonstrate the reactive behaviors that put the staff and others at risk for physical injury prior to the team’s introduction of the doll.”

Success stories such as these bring joy to both caregivers and patients. “They highlight the compassion we show every day to patients and families,” says Petryk.

“These dolls make such a positive impact that they’ve also brought the team and community closer together in our efforts to care for each other through all of life’s stages.”