The therapeutic use of dolls for in

The therapeutic use of dolls for individuals with dementia can be understood through the concept of attachment. Although attachment theory was originally applied to children, Miesen (1993) refocused this theory to apply to individuals with dementia (Mitchell & O'Donnell, 2013; Stephens, Cheston & Gleeson, 2013 Theorists have suggested that dolls may serve as a "transitional object" (Stephens et al., 2013, p. 701) for individuals with dementia, of acting as an "anchor" (Mitchell & O'Donnell, 2013, p. 330) in a period of uncertainty, similar to the blankets or soft toys that children use when moving toward adulthood