Dad and pets
Am sure that initially pets are good for the dementia sufferer and also the carers. Perhaps especially so for the carers if they like animals. I bought my two puppies, initially at Keith's (my partners) suggestion as he thought they might cheer me up (this was back when times were really really hard and like Brucie I went through very dark days) and they are a wonderful comfort when I get home and just sit in tears, I can do so in front of them without causing anyone concern and they just snuffle and sniff at me wondering why I am making strange noises and have a wet salty face, and then they make me laugh, and the world doesn't seem so bad anymore.
I have a silky cross and a jack russel. Never thought I'd want little dogs but their bright happy little faces are wonderful!
However, when it comes to dementia sufferers, like Brucie and Jan's situation with Dad there came a time when he stopped relating to his pets at all, this is sad to see, because pets miss their human parents too.What was worse in our case is Dad seemed to start to do worse than ignore them.
I can't say for sure if it was true because Dad was unable to talk by this time and could not really tell us what he was doing but on several occasions he appeared to try to take the cat or the dog by the throat and the look on his face was blood curdling. I don't know what would possess him to do so and whether he truly intended them harm but it wasn't worth the risk to the let the animals anywhere near him and for a time we were even concerned about the babies in the family.
We had to remind ourselves that he had a mental illness and who knows what it might allow him to do that he wouldn't have ever done before.
Dad has an unbelievably strong grip these days and I often still get bruises from him holding my wrist too tightly. Its horrible to admit that we might have had reason to be concerned about his intentions, but thankfully by that time he was getting pretty bad at moving fast or being able to aim his grabs effectively. It was the first time and only time I thought this disease might actually turn Dad into somebody else and not just warp his underlying personality. My Dad the original Dad would never want to kill something for no reason...but there didn't seem to be any reason behind in the expression he held in his eyes the times he threatened the pets, it was horrible.
Moral of the story, be careful about rushing in to buy pets for your dementia sufferers although Dad's example
may be a one off situation.... If you think it will be good for the carer then perhaps do so, but bear in mind the care of the pets may also be an extra burden when times get really exhausting. Another idea would be to have a family member with pets visit often or get the sufferer a pet but be ready to give it a new home if things turn bad.