Ayrshire College agreed to host the event after some of their NC Health and Social Care students came along to a Dog Day event at the Kilmarnock Dementia Resource Centre earlier this year.
The Dementia Dog project is piloting a number of models that demonstrate the positive impact dogs can have on the lives of people living with dementia.
The Dog Day events provide an opportunity for people, who can no longer have dogs in their lives, to engage with dogs. Encouraging social interaction in a relaxed and fun environment.
Ayrshire College student Steven Murray said “The event exceeded expectations and was informative and engaging. I liked that there were speakers from different organisations, and having the dogs present made the event fun and welcoming. I liked hearing about the journey of the Dementia Dog project, the work they have done, and where they hope to be in the future. I hope this will be the first of many events we’re involved in.”
CVO East Ayrshire Community Connector, Rory Brown said “Today has been really helpful for me, because the job I do is about linking patients from GP surgeries into the third sector. So being enable to see how dogs can have a therapeutic benefit for people living with dementia is really interesting.”
Medical Detection Dogs Instructor Mandie Danks said “It was an absolutely fantastic day. It was really good to meet everyone and talk about what we do with Medical Detection Dogs. It’s also a great opportunity to socialise the pups.”
Alzheimer Scotland, Community Event Co-ordinator, Jim Baird wants to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to attend Dog Day events.
Jim commented “Today has given us a real opportunity to connect with health professionals who are working with people living with dementia in the local community. We hope that by sharing the benefits of the project, we will encourage more referrals to our Dog Day events and increase engagement with people who are not yet attending the Kilmarnock Dementia Resource Centre.”
The Dog Day pilot has been hugely successful and the next stage is to roll out the Dog Day model to new audiences.
Alzheimer Scotland Deputy Director, Joyce Gray commented “It was a terrific event. It gave us a platform to connect with new audiences that wouldn’t necessarily have engaged with us in the past, helping to develop our dog initiative.”
Links
To find out more about the project or to donate visit www.dementiadog.org