DH Beacon Weighted Therapy Doll, 19”, Provides Comfort and Activities for Patients with Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia, Aids in Communication, Social Interaction & Stress Reduction

This doll is a very sweet pretty little baby that is nicely weighted and feels soothing to hold. As such, it satisfies the fundamental purpose of the doll. However, the devil is in the details, and the details of the clothing and accessories are poorly, if at all, addressed.I purchased this doll for my sister who has advanced Alzheimer’s. The write up says that dressing the doll is something to which these patients like to do; well they can’t as purchased.True, the doll is adorable as is, but I wanted my sister to be able to care for it without assitanceTo make this possible I found I needed to purchased appropriate clothing and some additional accessories in order for it to satisfy my expectations.To start, the doll’s stretch suit is too tight to easily take off and put on. I, myself, struggled to get the suit on and off, my sister could not begin to remove and dress the doll. In addition, there is no diaper, not even the most rudimentary. This is an important must have for taking care of a baby. If the outfit’s opening was larger and the arm and especially legs of the clothes were wider the problem could be resolved.Second, the baby doll is intended to evoke and satisfy our most primal response of caring for and nurturing a baby; Feeding is an important and fundamental aspect of caring for a baby. Incongruously, no baby bottle is included with the doll.In order to get the doll ready for my sister, I needed to purchase an easier off and on outfit, a diaper, and a baby bottle. The most cost effective way to obtain these accessories was to purchase another much cheaper doll for $10 and use iall the accompanying accessories and clothing for little “Annie.” The outfit from the cheaper doll is a two piece outfit, a top and bottom as opposed to a onesie, which is much much more satisfactory. A small flannel diaper with Velcro fastening solved the diaper changing issue. And the bottle that came with the cheaper doll was an essential must have.I thought the blanket that came with the doll was rather flimsy for such a nice doll, so I got a small piece of pink fleece for the blanket.My sister did respond to the doll immediately, if only briefly; she quickly renamed Annie to her name, which was heartwarming. The box the doll came in was very pretty and served as a nice baby bed, which my sister appreciated.After I left the home where my sister resides, I realized another feature that would have been useful; a subtle place for writing a name on the doll, clothing, and accessories.I failed to recognize this as a need until too late. The failure to tag the doll was my bad, but a discreet place to mark the doll would be helpfulBecause the doll is unmarked, I fully expect that my sister’s little baby, Gail, will quickly disappear from her room. Things do have a way of disappearing from places when the owner is not capable of monitoring possessions.After all, it is a lovely sweet little baby doll that anyone would be happy to have and to hold. Even without the extra love that I put into it. I would buy it again.

Mom is 88 with advanced dementia. She takes her doll with her everywhere, and proudly shows off her "Baby" to anyone who will stand still long enough (most people are kind and will listen to her with smiles). She and Baby watch TV together and cuddle at night while sleeping. Occasionally she will try to feed Baby, which can get messy, but that's okay; it's really a delight to watch. She has so few pleasures in life at this point, so she can have at it taking care of her Baby!

I ordered this for my mom who is in stage 6 dementia. She has been sitting on the couch quietly talking to her "baby" ever since I opened the box this morning. She never sits quietly anymore! She is usually pacing around arguing with me all morning. This is our first morning, but I'm very pleased! It came beautifully boxed and even smelled wonderful when we opened the box. I hope this brings more calm to her day!!

I bought this doll to give to my mother who was in a nursing home and had dementia. She loved the doll she called it her baby I was very pleased with the doll and the way it helped my mom.

I bought this for my mom who has advanced Alzheimer's Disease. She showed mild interest, so maybe I waited too long. She did comment on how "cute that baby is." The baby doll is nicely weighted and has the cutest face. I love how the eyes close -- pretty realistic. I love it!!! It comes with a little pink blanket, and arrives in a beautiful floral heavy-duty box. If you know someone who needs a therapeutic doll, I'd recommend this one highly.

Got this for my demented sister. It took a little while but she did start to interact with the doll which was great. She does remove a leg from time to time in her exuberance to reposition the limb. However it's easy to put back into place. She did notice the weight as well which surprised me. So overall I think this is a good product for someone with acute dementia.

I purchased Annie for a friend whose Mother is suffering fromAlzheimer's, she was instantly comforted by Annie. She rocked and talkedto her, and when she put her baby to sleep, you could tell she was happythat Annie's eyes actually closed. As someone who creates pottery, Iappreciate the attention to detail in the sculpting of the doll's face andbody, she is beautifully done. I had a real sense of pride giving thisdoll, I would definitely purchase Annie again, and recommend her to anyonewho is looking for a high quality, reasonably priced therapy doll.

The joy this doll has brought is priceless. Dementia robs, but this doll restores. She was an icebreaker as my mother in law entered into her dementia care community at age 92. The doll draws in others as she rides in the walker, sits on laps, and naps together. She once again has dignity in caring and loving her “baby” and does not feel alone anymore