A GROUND-BREAKING project which helps Glaswegians who are living with dementia has been trialling innovative new ways of working during the pandemic. Dementia Dog, a collaboration between Alzheimer Scotland and UK-wide charity Dogs for Good, uses specially trained dogs to help people with dementia and their carers. When the country went into lockdown, the project had to find new ways to work with its clients to help them stay connected and reduce social isolation. It came up with an array of new plans, including virtual therapy walks, online Doggy Bingo and physiotherapy sessions. Carla Haizelden, a Dementia Community Dog handler alongside pup Billy, said: “Doggy Bingo is very straightforward and easy to play. The players can watch Billy go and fetch a ball with a random number on it from a container. He passes it to me and I read out the number.
Eyes down: Doggie bingo sessions help dementia patients stay connected
Updated: 21/12/2020, 5:34 pm
A bingo project aimed at helping Scots living with dementia during the pandemic has enlisted the help of furry friends.
Dementia Dog, a collaboration between Alzheimer Scotland and UK-wide charity Dogs for Good, uses specially trained dogs to help people with dementia and their carers.
The initiative was born after the charity had to think of new ways to work with their clients and help them stay connected in order to reduce social isolation.
Virtual Dog Bingo was one of the projects, which would see video calls with existing Alzheimer Scotland dementia support groups in various locations across Scotland such as Aberdeen and Fort William.