
Dogs 4 Dementia is the first time in Australia that expert Dementia Centre consultants have partnered up with skilled Assistance Dogs Australia trainers to place dogs into the homes of people living with dementia.
Dogs 4 Dementia is an innovative pilot program designed to
bring together 8 assistance dogs with 8 carers of people living with dementia
in the community. It will test and evaluate whether support from specifically
trained assistance dogs can improve the quality of life for a person with
dementia and their carer and allow them to remain living at home for. The
assistance dogs will be trained to perform key tasks according to the
individual needs of the couple. It will be building on work done by the
Dementia Dog project in Scotland.
Through special training an assistance dog is taught to
respond to cues in ways that promote confidence and independence in a person
living with dementia. They devotedly offer a paw of support and companionship
when in the home or out-and-about accessing the community.
Dogs 4 Dementia equips
a person living with Dementia and their carer with a dog
that is carefully chosen to match their
household personalities and then specially trained to meet their specific
needs.
A broad range of important psychological and social
benefits are expected.
- The dogs can provide an anchor to the person in terms of routine, assistance, grounding and emotional well-being.
- Other benefits include cognitive, emotional and physical support.
- Some of the helpful things dogs can do include:
- Reminding a person to take their medications, eat or drink
- Recognising a specific movement a person would make when in distress and push an emergency button on the phone or bark loudly for help
- Prompting a person to read a note left by a carer
- Opening cupboards and drawers
- Turning the lights off after people have fallen asleep
There are no upfront costs to participate in this
program or for the purchase of a dementia assistance dog.
Dogs 4 Dementia will cover the cost of the dog and will cover associated costs for the first year (veterinary, feeding, worming, grooming and training). However participants will be responsible for all associated costs after the first year, as they would if they owned any other dog.
Dogs 4 Dementia will follow the participants’ experiences over the first year and will share the outcomes and personal stories on there website. It is hoped that these dogs will promote greater independence, confidence, and allow people who have dementia to remain living at home for longer.
Dogs 4 Dementia is funded by the Australian
Government Department of Social Services. Visit www.dss.gov.au for more information.
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