New ‘leash on life’ for older Australians with Dementia
An Australian-first initiative, which aims to assist individuals with dementia be more independent and able to stay in their homes for longer, was recently launched by the Assistant Minister for Social Services, Mitch Fifield.
Sunshine has been specially trained to assist people with dementia with tasks in their homes.
The innovative program Dogs 4 Dementia pairs specially trained dogs with people with dementia to assist with tasks in their homes.
HammondCare, one of the country’s largest aged care providers, has received $1.5 million in funding from the Australian Government to roll out the program across NSW and Victoria.
Drawing on lessons from Alzheimer’s Scotland where a similar project was trialled, the Dogs 4 Dementia program carefully matches each dog with an individual and their carer to assist with prompting tasks, hydration reminders, increasing socialisation and improved health and mobility support.
Assistant Minister for Social Services, the Hon. Senator Mitch Fifield, said HammondCare was one of 54 organisations across Australia successful in receiving $34 million in funding as part of the healthy ageing grants program.
“The Dogs 4 Dementia program is ground breaking and this trial is very important because we are always looking at innovative ways to do things better,” Minister Fifield says.
“We hope that the success of this program will see the specially trained dogs increase the independence and improve the quality of life for a person with dementia.”
HammondCare received a further $800,000 for a “Prescription Arts’ program that aims to link older people who are socially isolated, depressed or battling chronic disease with artists to explore and enjoy artistic endeavours within a group.
“We have a world-class aged care system in Australia, but it is important that we look for, and trial, new and different ways of enhancing independence for Australians who are getting older and are facing some challenges as a result,” the Minister says.
Some of the other innovative projects to receive funding were Alzheimer’s Australia’s development of a smartphone app that will help find connections between the culture and background of the care provider and the person they are providing care to and to Silver Memories Nostalgia Radio Service in Bundaberg to play music in aged care facilities to help reduce wandering and agitation for older people with dementia.
Older Australians will benefit from the latest round of flexible and innovative aged care projects that will be funded through the Aged Care Service Improvement and Healthy Ageing Grants round until 2017.
