In September 2023, Our Special Friends (OSF) received a referral from the Anglia Care Trust for a gentleman, ‘David’ who was 79 years old and has dementia. He has a love of dogs and had owned many when he was younger but his wife ‘Eileen’, who is also his main carer, has a fear of dogs so they could not have one of their own. One of OSF’s lead assessors had an initial phone conversation with Eileen and learnt that, although she was wary of dogs and wouldn’t stroke and engage with them, she was comfortable with a dog visiting their home. She knew that weekly interactions with a visiting dog would have a positive impact of her husband’s wellbeing. Three weeks later, the lead assessor went to visit the couple. By now, Eileen was a little anxious as David had changed his mind that day and was saying he didn’t want visits from a volunteer and dog, so she wasn’t sure how he would be. David was also experiencing trouble with his hearing and although he has a hearing aid it didn’t seem to be helping. It was apparent that it was frustrating for David as he couldn’t follow and engage in conversation very well. But he enjoyed talking about the dogs he had owned in the past and his sense of humour was evident. Eileen was also clearly dealing with caregiver burden and had only recently started to get support for her caring role through Anglia Care Trust. She was very much looking forward to an opportunity to have some respite when a volunteer and dog came to visit David.
Not only were we able to find a suitable volunteer, ‘Victoria’, to match with David, but Victoria was also a registered nurse specialising in dementia. Just under two months from receiving the referral, David received his first visit from Victoria and her friendly, calm, lurcher ‘Poppy’. It was clear from the very first visit just how special and powerful these visits were going to be for both David and Eileen. Not only does David enjoy talking and interacting with Poppy without the pressure of having to follow a conversation, Victoria is able to support Eileen by sharing her knowledge of dementia and the support that is available to carers. With her calming presence, Poppy also won over Eileen who spent some time stroking her.
Victoria’s support and the visits from Poppy allow Eileen the opportunity to have respite, if wanted, but also the chance to talk to someone who is knowledgeable about dementia. By reducing the caregiver burden on Eileen, she is better equipped to care for David for longer, putting less pressure on dementia support services, carers and care homes.
Speaking with Victoria after a few of her visits she told us “Eileen has my picture [and Poppy’s] on the fridge and apparently David has been talking lots about it … Poppy howls with excitement when we pull up in the driveway. David is looking out the window waiting for her to arrive.”
