Project generated by students at The Glasgow School of
Art’s (GSA) Product Design department now helping couples where one partner
has dementia.
Two specially-trained dogs have become the first
assistance dogs in the UK to help people with dementia. Kaspa and Oscar are
part of a project to investigate how a dog may bring benefits to people with
early-stage dementia.
assistance dogs in the UK to help people with dementia. Kaspa and Oscar are
part of a project to investigate how a dog may bring benefits to people with
early-stage dementia.
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| Ken, Glenys & Kaspa |
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| Maureen, Frank & Oscar |
The project, which was generated by students at
The Glasgow School of Art’s (GSA) Product Design department, then developed by a
partnership between Alzheimer Scotland, Dogs for the Disabled and Guide Dogs Scotland
commenced in 2012. Both dogs have been
highly trained to help offer practical assistance and reduce social isolation
and anxiety levels, some of the major problems experienced by couples where one
partner has dementia.
The Glasgow School of Art’s (GSA) Product Design department, then developed by a
partnership between Alzheimer Scotland, Dogs for the Disabled and Guide Dogs Scotland
commenced in 2012. Both dogs have been
highly trained to help offer practical assistance and reduce social isolation
and anxiety levels, some of the major problems experienced by couples where one
partner has dementia.
A further two dogs have already begun their
training.
training.
Utilising the skills of the four organisations
and helped by funds from the Scottish Government and the UK Design Council, the
project could herald a new era in the way people with dementia and their carers
are supported at home.
and helped by funds from the Scottish Government and the UK Design Council, the
project could herald a new era in the way people with dementia and their carers
are supported at home.
Oscar is a
golden retriever and Kaspa a Labrador. Oscar was withdrawn from guide dog
training and passed across to the Dementia Dog project, whilst Kaspa came
straight from the Dogs for the Disabled socialisation scheme after being
specially selected for the project.
As puppies they spent their first year with
experienced volunteers, learning to be well-behaved and well-mannered young
dogs. At just over a year old they moved into the Guide Dogs Training Centre at
Forfar, where they were trained for their new role, with the specialised help of
staff from Dogs for the Disabled, based in Banbury, Oxfordshire.
In March this year, Oscar and Kaspa completed
their training and went to live with couples Frank and Maureen and Ken and
Glenys from Angus, Scotland. Maureen and Ken were both recently diagnosed with
early stage dementia and the couples were already
receiving support from Alzheimer Scotland.
Dealing with the realities of dementia, their lives were changing and
starting to present all sorts of unwelcome new challenges.
Oscar and Kaspa have settled in well to their
new homes and are already making an impact on the lives of their new
partners. Both dogs have been trained to
fetch medicines when a reminder alarm goes off.
The dogs can take items between the two couples and can also be trained
to help wake up a person.
new homes and are already making an impact on the lives of their new
partners. Both dogs have been trained to
fetch medicines when a reminder alarm goes off.
The dogs can take items between the two couples and can also be trained
to help wake up a person.
For both couples, having an assistance dog has
provided a reason to go out for regular walks to the park together – a great
way of meeting people and keeping in touch with the world around them. The dogs
are also proving to be great stress-relievers at home, where the couples say
that they feel more motivated. The carer finds that they are spending less time
giving reassurance to their partner because the dog gives a calming new focus for
the person with dementia.
provided a reason to go out for regular walks to the park together – a great
way of meeting people and keeping in touch with the world around them. The dogs
are also proving to be great stress-relievers at home, where the couples say
that they feel more motivated. The carer finds that they are spending less time
giving reassurance to their partner because the dog gives a calming new focus for
the person with dementia.
Comments carer Glenys: “Kaspa has given us our
lives back”. This sentiment is echoed by Frank, “Maureen and I can’t imagine
going back to what it was like before we got Oscar.”
lives back”. This sentiment is echoed by Frank, “Maureen and I can’t imagine
going back to what it was like before we got Oscar.”
Says Helen McCain, Director of Training at Dogs
for the Disabled; “For 25 years we’ve been training assistance dogs for
physically disabled adults and children and more recently for children with
autism. This new project has provided us all with an opportunity to bring together
our skills and experience to help with a different kind of challenge. We really
believe that the dementia assistance dog could make a significant contribution
to the Government’s National Dementia
Strategy.”
for the Disabled; “For 25 years we’ve been training assistance dogs for
physically disabled adults and children and more recently for children with
autism. This new project has provided us all with an opportunity to bring together
our skills and experience to help with a different kind of challenge. We really
believe that the dementia assistance dog could make a significant contribution
to the Government’s National Dementia
Strategy.”
Joyce Gray, Deputy Director of Development at
Alzheimer Scotland says; “Dementia Dog has had a truly wonderful impact on the families involved
and Alzheimer Scotland is delighted to have been part of this ground-breaking
project. It’s also been a great example of partnership working. Supporting people
with dementia and their families to live well with the illness requires
innovative and imaginative approaches and the Dementia Dog team have brought
all this and more to the project.”
Alzheimer Scotland says; “Dementia Dog has had a truly wonderful impact on the families involved
and Alzheimer Scotland is delighted to have been part of this ground-breaking
project. It’s also been a great example of partnership working. Supporting people
with dementia and their families to live well with the illness requires
innovative and imaginative approaches and the Dementia Dog team have brought
all this and more to the project.”
Logan
Anderson, Guide Dogs Scotland Forfar Training School Manager adds; “Our
change-of-career guide dogs contribute invaluable work with other assistance
dogs charities and the Dementia Dog pilot has shown, not just how the dogs have
provided practical benefits to those living with Alzheimer’s, but also the
mood-enhancing and emotional benefits as well.
Anderson, Guide Dogs Scotland Forfar Training School Manager adds; “Our
change-of-career guide dogs contribute invaluable work with other assistance
dogs charities and the Dementia Dog pilot has shown, not just how the dogs have
provided practical benefits to those living with Alzheimer’s, but also the
mood-enhancing and emotional benefits as well.
Gordon Hush,
Glasgow School of Art Product Design Programme Leader adds, “Dementia Dog sees
GSA Product Design graduates extending their skills beyond the traditional
domain of material manufacture into the generation of experiences that improve
the quality of life of both carers and those with dementia. The ability to
re-design experiences is a significant challenge and one that these young
designers have risen to in an extraordinary fashion. The success of this
project is a testimony to the capacity for design education to be married to a
social conscience and a concern for one’s fellow citizens. This is design as a
means of making the world a better more desirable place to live in.”
Glasgow School of Art Product Design Programme Leader adds, “Dementia Dog sees
GSA Product Design graduates extending their skills beyond the traditional
domain of material manufacture into the generation of experiences that improve
the quality of life of both carers and those with dementia. The ability to
re-design experiences is a significant challenge and one that these young
designers have risen to in an extraordinary fashion. The success of this
project is a testimony to the capacity for design education to be married to a
social conscience and a concern for one’s fellow citizens. This is design as a
means of making the world a better more desirable place to live in.”
Ends-
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contact:
contact:
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T: 07990 601560 E: caroline@clcommunications.ca
For
Dogs for the Disabled:
Dogs for the Disabled:
Catherine
Goddard
Goddard
Press
Officer
01295
759825
catherine.goddard@dogsforthedisabled.org
Communications Manager
01295 759808
sarah.watson@dogsforthedisabled.org