Author Archives: wendy

Alzheimer’s Scotland are now training 2 more puppies

July 16, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia, Scotland

The ‘dementia dogs’ that get their owners out of bed, keep them active, and bring them their medication

  • Ken Will, 79, and Maureen Benham, 69, have been given assistance dogs
  • Say they have finally ‘got their lives back’ because they can socialise again
  • Kaspa and Oscar are the first ‘dementia dogs’ in the country that listen to a set of alarms that tell them to carry out specific tasks
  • Alzheimer’s Scotland are now training 2 more puppies to do the same job
  • By Emma Innes

PUBLISHED: 17:50, 15 July 2013 | UPDATED: 19:30, 15 July 2013

A Labrador and a golden retriever – named Kaspa and Oscar – have become the first dogs in the country to look after dementia sufferers.
The pair has been drafted in to help Ken Will, 79, and Maureen Benham, 69, who were both diagnosed with dementia three years ago.

As their conditions have deteriorated, their dependence on respective partners Glenys Will, 66, and Frank Benham, 74, has increased – until now.

A Labrador and a golden retriever – named Kaspa and Oscar (pictured with Maureen and Frank Benham) – have become the first dogs in the country to look after dementia sufferers

Read More

Neighbourhood watch groups could help with elderly care

July 15, 2013   Carers, disability, Older care

Neighbourhood watch groups in England could provide companionship and practical help for pensioners living alone, under an idea being considered.

15 July 2013 Last updated at 11:35

 Ministers say more collaboration is needed between the state and voluntary groups

Social care minister Norman Lamb said many older people were living “very lonely lives”, without family support.

While professional care remained vital, something extra was needed, he said.

The “principle of neighbourliness” could be extended to address the “extraordinary challenge” presented by an ageing society, he told the BBC.

There are 173,000 neighbourhood watch groups in England and Wales, a scheme which started in the 1980s to encourage local residents to report suspicious behaviour in their area and to help prevent burglaries.

Read More

The farm giving disabled people the chance to experience rural life

July 14, 2013   Carers, disability, Downs syndrome, learning difficulties, mental health

Medicine comes in many different forms

11:00am Sunday 14th July 2013 in News By Maria Court

 Paula with Will Payne and volunteers and participants at High Mead Farm

Medicine comes in many different forms. Whittling wood, tending the land, caring for animals and feeling the sun on your skin can do wonders for physical and mental wellbeing.

Providing that therapy for many members of the community is High Mead Farm near Longham.

Since last autumn the four-acre plot has offered a supported work environment for people with learning and physical difficulties as well as youngsters who are out of work or who have been excluded from school.

Will Payne and Mark Gregory took over the land, which was in a run-down state, but with the help of local people it’s back on track to becoming a sustainable farm.

“We wanted to make it accessible to the whole community,” explained Will.

Read More