Theres a site called unforgettle were you can buy realistic looking cats and dogs there stuffed toys marketed for dementia sufferers
Would a dog be a good idea?
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I agree with all the other comments that getting a dog would not be a good idea, for many reasons.
My mother had cats all her life, and she was when diagnosed with dementia she had a fairly elderly cat. It was little trouble as it mostly slept, but she started getting the feeding regime entirely wrong and leaving out multiple bowls of food - fortunately by this point she had daily carers (self funded) who took charge of the feeding (they had to hide the boxes of cat food), and took the cat to the vet when necessary. My mother was obsessed with keeping the cat safe, and asked where he was every ten minutes.
She had to move into a care home earlier this year, and my main worry was how much she'd miss the cat. However she has adopted a whole raft of cuddly toys (mostly cats or dogs) as a substitute. She had about a dozen of her own, but when I went into her room yesterday there were at least 30, it was like a cuddly toy shop - if she sees someonelse's lying around she adopts it - she seems very happy with this arrangement!
My mother had cats all her life, and she was when diagnosed with dementia she had a fairly elderly cat. It was little trouble as it mostly slept, but she started getting the feeding regime entirely wrong and leaving out multiple bowls of food - fortunately by this point she had daily carers (self funded) who took charge of the feeding (they had to hide the boxes of cat food), and took the cat to the vet when necessary. My mother was obsessed with keeping the cat safe, and asked where he was every ten minutes.
She had to move into a care home earlier this year, and my main worry was how much she'd miss the cat. However she has adopted a whole raft of cuddly toys (mostly cats or dogs) as a substitute. She had about a dozen of her own, but when I went into her room yesterday there were at least 30, it was like a cuddly toy shop - if she sees someonelse's lying around she adopts it - she seems very happy with this arrangement!
Hi my husband has vascular dementia, and we have two dogs who love him
However he no longer thinks much about them, when he is agitated and upset they know and it is heartbreaking to see them steering clear and yet sitting looking at a distance looking at him, worrying about him.
The smallest and oldest will continually come to me, hiding behind me or sitting on me looking worried and puzzled, so,I worry........
Then 30 minutes later he is calmer, and he will call them and they don’t go, looking at me and backing away.
The younger dog, will go to him but so so, slowly, and looking at him so so carefully.
Then he is upset, and I worry..........
This is a continuous circle, and my heart breaks for all,of them
I am so glad that my grandchildren live too far away to visit, or. Would I worry?.........
Animals and people are easily hurt, and I can empathise with all these posts, I wish I could cry myself to sleep, but one, I dare not sleep, and two, we share a bedroom to try to keep him safe, and he tells me to stop making such a noise.
It is breathtaking, isn’t it, when they say something so suddenly and so cruel usually right out of the blue?
This was a man whom I loved, and without meaning to seem cruel myself, I don’t know who or what he is now,
However he no longer thinks much about them, when he is agitated and upset they know and it is heartbreaking to see them steering clear and yet sitting looking at a distance looking at him, worrying about him.
The smallest and oldest will continually come to me, hiding behind me or sitting on me looking worried and puzzled, so,I worry........
Then 30 minutes later he is calmer, and he will call them and they don’t go, looking at me and backing away.
The younger dog, will go to him but so so, slowly, and looking at him so so carefully.
Then he is upset, and I worry..........
This is a continuous circle, and my heart breaks for all,of them
I am so glad that my grandchildren live too far away to visit, or. Would I worry?.........
Animals and people are easily hurt, and I can empathise with all these posts, I wish I could cry myself to sleep, but one, I dare not sleep, and two, we share a bedroom to try to keep him safe, and he tells me to stop making such a noise.
It is breathtaking, isn’t it, when they say something so suddenly and so cruel usually right out of the blue?
This was a man whom I loved, and without meaning to seem cruel myself, I don’t know who or what he is now,
