Dementia Dog scheme which gives people with dementia 'their lives back' gets £300,000 funding boost

An innovative programme, which pairs specially trained dogs with people with dementia, will be able to expand its programme after receiving a £300,000 funding boost.

The Dementia Dog project, which has been running in Scotland for just three years started as a collaboration between Alzheimer Scotland, Dogs for the Disabled (now Dogs for Good), Guide Dogs UK and product design students from Glasgow School of Art, to bring fresh ideas to service design for people with dementia.

The aim is to provide people in the early stages of dementia with a fully trained assistance dog. The dog acts as a companion and helper, and is trained to provide reminders for key daily tasks like taking medication. Having a dog also encourages owners to get out and about, increasing not only physical activity but also social interaction.

Ken Will who has dementia and lives with his wife Glenys in Angus were one of the first to try out a dementia dog. They had been married for 45 years when Ken received his diagnosis and the impact of the condition had become increasingly challenging for both of them over time.

Kaspa started living with them in 2013, meaning Glenys could leave the house knowing that Ken would be safe, as Kaspa had been trained to respond to alarms that would remind Ken to carry out tasks, like take his medication.

Huge impact

He has had a huge impact on the couple’s lives with Glenys saying: “Kaspa has given us our life back. He greets Ken in the morning, so Ken starts his day happy. I have noticed if Ken is agitated or unsettled Kaspa gives him a nudge so Ken talks to the dog or goes out in to the back garden and forgets what had bothered him. Kaspa has removed my fear that Ken had gone, life is so much better for both of us now. Ken is happy and it has taken so much stress away from me as well. Every day we wake up knowing it’s going to be a good day thanks to Kaspa.”

The funding, which has come from the charity Life Changes Trust will help Alzheimer Scotland and Dogs for Good to broaden the project to help even more families who are living with dementia.

The funding will help to provide aftercare support to the existing assistance dog teams as well as place a further eight fully trained assistance dogs with a person living with dementia and their carer. The dogs will be trained to support their owner, and as well as being of practical help, will also provide great emotional support.

Fresh approach to challenge of dementia

Joyce Gray, deputy director of Development at Alzheimer Scotland said, “The current Dementia Dog project is leading the way across the world in the development of services bringing dogs and people together to support people with dementia and their carers, and this funding provides a fantastic opportunity to build on this exemplar project.

“Dementia Dog has also allowed us to bring a fresh approach to the challenge of dementia. We are overwhelmed that Life Changes Trust has supported the project to this level.

“It shows such faith in the potential we know the project can deliver to the dementia community. We will be able to extend our work, deliver innovation and joy to families who participate, and share our work on a global stage.”

Anna Buchanan, director of the Life Changes Trust dementia programme said: “We are delighted to award this funding to support the continuation of the Dementia Dog initiative. These dogs deliver support on many levels, from reconnecting individuals to their community to making the home environment feel safer. This is important because we need to ensure that people living with dementia can live well and safely at home and in their own community.”

In Scotland it is estimated that around 90,000 people have dementia and the number is expected to double by 2038.