Impact Stories
Studies, stories and blogs about our comfort stuffies
Do you have a story to tell about your plush Maltese stuffie? Please send it (anonymized for patient privacy) to us at machikonoishi@gmail.com. Please do NOT include any information that could be used to identify a patient including name. Nick names are fine.
Personal Stories
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As a caregiver, for a senior Japanese woman, I witnessed firsthand how attached a patient can become to the little stuffed dog. She even slept with it at night, and it truly made her calmer and happier when she could sit and stroke the dog’s fur.
❋ TJ – Caregiver
The Human Touch
In moments of serious illness, small sensory experiences can matter deeply. A soft object to hold, something familiar to touch, can stay breathing, ease anxiety, and offer reassurance when words are no longer enough. The science helps explain why this happens - but the comfort itself is simple and human.
The Proven Power of Plush
The Science of Comfort
Shown below are references to research about the benefits to patients of comfort objects or doll/plush interventions as they relate to adult hospice or end-of-life and serious illness contexts (especially advanced dementia, which overlaps with hospice care). Some of these directly involve holding/cuddling plush dolls; others support the underlying mechanisms (emotion regulation, comfort, reduced distress) that justify their use in adult hospice settings.
❋ RESEARCHComforting objects such as stuffed animals reduce patient agitation
Study: Nonpharmacological Interventions in Hospice Care (Includes Contact Comfort with Plush Object)
Citation: Smith TJ, Alvariza A. A Pilot Study of Nonpharmacological Interventions for Hospice Patients With Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia. J Hosp Palliat Nurs. 2020;22(6):487–495.
❋ RESEARCHPhysically interacting with a plush toy can ease distress in hospice patients.
Study: Transitional Objects and Emotional Regulation in Adults (Physiological/Emotion Research)
Citation: Ko C-H. Exploring the Relationship Between Transitional Object Attachment and Emotion Regulation in Adults. Brain Sci. 2024. PMID:39791646.
❋ RESEARCHDoll therapy (providing a lifelike doll) reduces agitation, dysphoria, apathy, and caregiver burden.
Study: Doll Therapy in Older Adults with Advanced Dementia (RCT; supports emotional benefit
Citation: Santagata F, Massaia M, D'Amelio P. The doll therapy as a first line treatment for behavioral and psychologic symptoms of dementia in nursing home residents: a randomized, controlled study. BMC Geriatr. 2021;21:545. doi:10.1186/s12877-021-02496-0.
❋ RESEARCHHolding a plush toy reduces anxiety and physiological stress response and lowers cortisol levels.
Study: How Cuddly Comfort Objects May Help Adults with Anxiety
Citation: Haynes A, Lywood A. How Cuddly Comfort Objects May Help Adults with Anxiety. Time Edge. 2022.
❋ RESEARCHDoll therapy improves emotional state and reduces disruptive behavior in dementia patients enrolled in palliative or hospice care.
Study: Doll Therapy Meta-Analysis (Emotional Outcomes in Advanced Dementia)
Citation: Martín-García A, et al. Effect of Doll Therapy in Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of People With Dementia: A Systematic Review. Healthcare. 2022;10(3):421. doi:10.3390/healthcare10030421.
Blog
Small, Personal, Human — and Effective
Machiko no Ishi was never meant to become a large organization.
From the beginning, I knew that if I created a charity in memory of my wife, Machiko, it needed to remain something personal. Something human. Something that focused on kindness rather than scale.
My name is Tom McLaughlin, and I founded Machiko no Ishi — also known as Machiko’s Legacy — as a small memorial charity inspired by Machiko’s life, her compassion, and her love of animals. From time to time, I will write here about the work we are doing and the ideas that guide this effort.