Dogs that make people with dementia more confident and a scent device to improve appetites are two designs that have won official approval
Dementia dogs can be trained to offer specialised support for people with dementia.
Five teams, £360,000 and 20 weeks to research and design a product or service to help people living with dementia. It sounds like something from The Healthcare Apprentice but the Design Council and Department of Health has unveiled five projects that they hope will significantly improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers. They calculate that the combined social return value of the project will be £500m.
Among the projects is dementia dog, a programme training specially selected assistance dogs to improve the confidence, wellbeing and support of people with dementia; online tool grouple, which helps families plan and share the care of a person with dementia; and ode, a plug-in device that emits aromas at set times to improve appetite and eating patterns.
Alongside the buddiband, and trading times, the projects were selected from more than 150 entries to be given funding and support from an expert panel including Gill Ayling, deputy director of older people and dementia at the Department of Health, and Joshua Hardie, the head of corporate responsibility at Tesco.
