Dementia Assistance Dogs Can Alter The Way That Care Is Provided To Dementia Patients As It Becomes A Growing Issue In The Uk Along With The Pressures Put On Care Homes
Dementia is a growing issue in the UK. The problem is becoming more prevalent as the aged population of the country increases. According to statistics from the Alzheimers Society, there are currently around 850,000 dementia sufferers in the UK. This figure is predicted to reach two million by 2051. The rate of the rise is such that one person every three minutes will develop dementia this year.
As the number of people suffering from dementia continues to increase, so does the pressure on care homes. People often see care homes as the best option for care when dementia symptoms worsen, however with more people going into care, the strain to cater to these numbers increases. According to Helping Hands, most people dont realise that quality dementia care can be carried out at home at varying levels of support. This can be a big help to sufferers who benefit from remaining in familiar surroundings. It also means that dementia sufferers may be able to secure the help of a dementia dog something that would not be possible in a nursing home.
Dementia Service Dogs Can Provide Safety
In addition to the general security even small dogs like Boston Terriers and Malteses can provide , Dementia Service Dogs are providing medical service that is changing the way adults with Alzheimers live.
Specially trained and GPS-tracked Dementia Dogs both prevent a person with Alzheimers from leaving their house unaccompanied, as well as help their owners get back to the safety of their own home with a simple command.
They can also help wake their owners up and remind them of where their belongings are .
Stuffed Animals Also Provide Comfort
If having an actual canine companion isnt possible, studies have shown stuffed animals can also help people with dementia.
Companies including The Alzheimers Store sell both robotic and stuffed dogs and cats designed for dementia patients. The robotic versions are battery-operated and have sleep and breathe functions. More advanced robotic animals feature built-in sensors that respond to motion and touch, a heartbeat, lifelike coat and authentic sounds.
A study conducted last year compared the impact of a robotic stuffed animal to a regular stuffed animal for people with Alzheimers disease. Results showed those who interacted with the robotic animals were more visually and verbally engaged than those with the regular stuffed animals. The study concluded that both robotic and stuffed animals reduced agitation in dementia patients and could be useful when a caregiver is otherwise occupied or when the dementia patient may need a furry dose of comfort.
This article originally appeared on BeingPatient.com on August 28, 2018.
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Are There Service Dogs For Alzheimers Patients
What if your senior with Alzheimers disease is incredibly stubborn and refuses to move into your place so you can help them? Theyve also resisted the idea of living in a nursing home or assisted living. But, youd at least like someone there to look over them, even if it cant be you.
Are Alzheimers patients eligible for service dogs? Alzheimers patients can indeed use service dogs, and the dogs can be highly beneficial. A dementia dog receives special training and can find a wandering Alzheimers patient, remind them to eat, pick up dropped items plus they make good companions.
In this guide, well tell you everything you need to know about this new breed of service dog for Alzheimers patients, including the benefits of a dogs company as well as how you would even go about finding a companion service dog for older adults with dementia.
Lets begin!
What Is The Dementia Dog Project
The use of dementia dogs is still in its early stages. One of the pioneering projects that is helping to forge the way for dogs to help in this area is based in Scotland. The Dementia Dog Project is a collaboration between Alzheimers Scotland and Dogs for Good. The aim of the project is to place dogs with couples one of whom suffers from dementia, the other who is their carer. Its also envisaged that dogs will eventually be trained to help with dementia-related issues in the wider community.
Dementia dogs are trained to help sufferers with a variety of different tasks including:
- Fetching medication.
- Waking a sufferer up.
- Walking on a dual lead.
Dogs are allocated to specific couples, so they can be trained to meet individual needs of the dementia sufferer and their carer.
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One Good Deed Leads To Another
The chain of events that led Phelps to Bob Taylor, founder of DogWish, Inc., was nothing short of serendipitous.
As a former law enforcement officer and emergency medical technician, Phelps was used to being active in his community and helping people. Unfortunately, his devastating diagnosis meant that he had to retire much earlier than he had anticipated.
No longer being able to assist people in his neighborhood frustrated Phelps, until he realized that his diagnosis had brought him awareness of a whole new community of people in need: Alzheimers patients and their caregivers. That was when MemoryPeople, a Facebook-based support and awareness group for people dealing with Alzheimers and other forms of dementia, was born.
A few months after MemoryPeople launched, a caregiver posted a question about how to find dementia service dogs. Having never heard of such a thing, Phelps did some research to help the woman with her query. He found DogWish online and contacted Taylor to find out more. After passing along what he had learned to his members, Phelps didnt think much more about the issue. That is, until Taylor called him back a few hours later.
Sound And Alarm Training
Service dogs also need to undergo training to react appropriately to sound and raise the alarm whenever necessary. Service dogs for dementia patients must learn how to respond to sound triggers such as an electronic timer to alert their owner to take medications. Other alarm triggers can also include reminding the owner to eat, drink water, and wash up, among other things. They can also be taught to respond to special instructions to prompt the owner back to safety or home.
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Assistance Dogs For Alzheimer’s And Dementia Patients
Assistance Dogs for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Patients
One of the major problems for elderly individuals is the decline of cognitive ability and memory associated with Alzheimer’s disease and various forms of dementia.Most forms of dementia do not have a sudden onset, and in the beginning and middle stages of the diseases people can still have a useful, functional, and somewhat independent life if they have adequate assistance and support services.The first is in Israel and was the brainchild of Dafna Golan-Shemesh, a social worker with expertise in caring for Alzheimers patients and her partner Yariv Ben-Yosef, a professional dog trainer.For example Alzheimer’s disease can make people confuse day and night or forget basic things such as washing or drinking enough water.The dogs are also trained to trigger an alarm in the house should the patient fall and not get up within a reasonable amount of time or if they hear a choking sound.The very fact that the dogs must be walked every day promotes exercise for the patient and encourages social interaction between the dementia sufferer and other people.The very fact that they are out and about with their dog also provides a sense of independence to the patient and reduces the feelings of helplessness and dependency which can lead to some of the severe forms of depression which are often encountered in Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers. .
Mobile Groups Can Help
Many hospitals and long-term care communities have an agreement with organizations such as Therapaws or Pet-A-Pet to conduct regular visits.
While dogs are usually the therapists, I have also seen patients delighted by cats, rabbits and gerbils.
Some facilities even have a resident cat, dog or bird on-site to create good feelings and a homelike atmosphere.
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How Does A Service Dog Help A Dementia Patient
Service dogs are canines who are trained to help people with disabilities carry out their day-to-day activities. In fact, theyre so good at their jobs that some of the most famous dogs in the world are specially trained service dogs.
What exactly is a service dog? The Americans with Disabilities Act defines service animals as animals that undergo training to respond to the specific needs of their owners who have disabilities. These disabilities can be cognitive, sensory, physical, or psychiatric. Since they provide care to their person, dogs are granted rights to full public access.
This means that restrictions commonly applied to regular dogs do not apply to them since they must be with their owner at all times. For instance, they can be allowed entry in places where pets arent commonly permitted, such as:
While they are trained for practical purposes, they eventually become loving companions. Not all service dogs receive the same type of training. Some may be trained to respond and care for patients with anxiety, diabetes, post-traumatic disorder, and seizures.
Dementia is an umbrella term that describes a cluster of symptoms that affects cognitive faculties and social abilities. According to the Mayo Clinic, dementia isnt a single disease but a range of several illnesses. One of its most notable symptoms is memory loss and cognitive decline that impair daily life and affect independent function.
Therapy Animals And Alzheimers Service Animals
Its important to make the distinction between a therapy animal and a service animal. Neither is a pet, and both use their extensive training to support their patients.
Service animals have a one-on-one relationship with their handler . Through extensive training, service animals learn commands and game-like procedures that improve their handlers quality of life. These can include things like balance and mobility support, or commands like Go home or Find the exit for someone with limited vision or memory. They can even learn commands to retrieve things like medications, food and drink, or a phone on a cue.
On the other hand, a therapy animal can serve an entire group or groups of people at once. Dogs, cats, and even dolphins have made a difference in peoples lives through therapy. Unlike service animals, therapy animals are not typically trained to do the tasks that improve someones day-to-day routine. Instead, they are calming influences who boost moods and improve interactions just by being around. Often, interacting with a therapy animal brings out instincts and a sense of connection that many patients have difficulty finding on their own.
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The Future Of Therapy Is Four
As new studies and organizations like the ARIES Project work to improve Alzheimers technology and treatments, the opportunities presented by pet therapy will continue to expand.
For families or facilities without the budget for a therapy or service animal, replacement toys offer some of the benefits without the high price tag. Pet therapy toys are stuffed, sometimes robotic animal toys that stand in for a living, breathing animal. Many of these products offer realistic, lifelike movements cat toys can pur, dog toys can bark or wag their tails. More advanced models directly respond to interactions. So, patients get similar benefits from petting a toy cat as they would a real one, without the burden of feeding or cleaning up after it.
There is more to come..
These technologies are still in their early stages. Patients who are in earlier stages of Alzheimers may be put off if the toys are not lifelike enough. This is why companies like Hasbro are working to create smoother, more realistic movements and interactions for the toys.
The ARIES Project is also working on ways to add safety components to robotic pets. Utilizing the same technology youd find in Alzheimers safety technology, they hope to create a smart collar that can detect falls, connect caregivers to their loved ones, and check vital signs. They could also provide reminders to eat, drink, or take medications.
Dogs For Dementia Patients
Dogs love routine. People with dementia have difficulty with routine, everyday activities. Roughly a dozen years ago, two people had the idea to put them together.
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When Israeli social worker Daphna Golan-Shemesh met professional dog trainer Yariv Ben-Yosef, they chatted about their respective occupations. As Ben-Yosef recalled, It was clear to us that Daphnas expertise in Alzheimers and my expertise with dogs could result in something new. Together, Golan-Shemesh and Ben-Yosef pioneered the idea of training dogs to help those with dementia to not only feel better but also, to assist with daily activities.
Fast-forward to early 2012, when Alzheimers Scotland secured funding to study the possibility that specially trained service dogs could benefit people in the early stages of dementia. Four students at the Glasgow School of Art developed the initial concept as a service design project in response to the Design Councils 2011 Living Well with Dementia Challenge. Focused on finding practical solutions to social problems, the competition required entrants to design and develop products and services that rethink living with dementia, and launch them as real initiatives. The Dementia Dog project grew from this call to action.
In the United States
Read deeply touching comments from family members and caregivers about the ways dogs help their loved ones cope at dementiadog.org.
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Can Specially Trained Dogs Help People With Alzheimer’s Dementia
Service dogs are well known for helping people with all types of disabilities, from blindness to epilepsy, or even anxiety a service dog can be trained to help people in many ways.
But, did you know that service dogs are becoming popular for helping people with Alzheimers dementia. In fact, these dogs are trained to do hundreds of tasks that can help people with Alzheimers disease maintain their autonomy for as long as possible. Not only can service dogs assist people with dementia, they can also help shoulder some of the daily responsibilities for Alzheimers caregivers and family members.
Benefits Of Service Dogs For Seniors
Seniors feel a kinship or ownership to the service dog. The furry friend provides comfort as well as protection. Often individuals experiencing dementia or Alzheimers may experience paranoia or fear, and these service dogs will help keep them calm and act as a barrier between them and the cause of the stress.
Service dogs can become like a therapist they are non-judgmental. The dogs are chosen to match the personality of the individual they will be working with and the need of the individual. Some dogs can be trained to follow more commands than others. It is imperative for the animal to be unfazed by the distractions and confusions of your mother or father. It is the service dogs responsibility to sense danger and intervene.
Dementia service dogs alongside home health care for seniors can improve your mother or fathers quality of life. The service dog is trained to assist in daily tasks that your parent struggles with. A furry friend may remove the need for other forms of assistance and also play the part of a loving companion. These animals are trained to wake their owners and reminding them where their clothes are, as well as retrieve food or medicines stored in bite-proof packaging.
Providers of at home care for seniors states that in home pet therapy dogs provide for seniors emotional and physical needs.
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Knowing What Rights One Has
Service dogs spend months in training and are able to help with various tasks that they are taught and directed to help with! These tasks are able to help those who need it the most, especially with patients who have dementia and Alzheimers disease. These tasks that are viewed as essential are given special treatment by the United States government. The Americans With Disabilities Act states that those with impairments and disabilities need their service dogs. This means that businesses and all establishments must allow these animals some form of access and accommodation. If there is discrimination against a service dog, it should be alerted to the Americans With Disabilities Act board. Service dog identification cards are available, in addition to emotional support animal identification cards.
Knowing what to expect can be frustrating for some, but there are many different types of ways that service dogs can help for those who are looking for the ability to live alone with a little bit of assistance from a service dog. There have been many breakthroughs in this area of training and more options are becoming understood for those with Alzheimers and dementia related issues. This is not an option for everyone, however.
Therapy Dogs: Making The Connection With Alzheimers Patients
Therapy dogs serve in all sorts of health care environments to bring comfort and a friendly face to patients living with a broad variety of conditionsincluding Alzheimers disease.
We went once to a rest home, to the Alzheimers unit, and a lady held out her hands to Eva and put her in her lap. We found out later from a nurse that she had not spoken to anyone in five years, but she spoke to Eva, recalls Juli Hauser, therapy dog parent to four dogstwo now deceased and resident of Burlington, N.C. I visited another Alzheimers patient for three years with Foxie, Eva, and Polly. She never responded at alldidnt even look at us. Her daughter told me that she didnt recognize her any more. The first time I took Luc to see her, she raised her head, looked at him, and said, Thats a dog. The next visit she talked to him a while although I couldnt understand her words. Its amazing what dogs can do that we cant.
What Hauser is describing is the impact therapy dogs can have with even late-stage Alzheimers patients who are having difficulty remembering or communicating with loved ones. Hauser, whose dogs are registered with the national organization Therapy Dogs International , still regularly visits Alzheimers and hospice patients with Polly and Luc.
Theres one further requirement, as well. And they must love their job! Greytak adds.
Therapy Dogs and Alzheimers Patients
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