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17
Nov 2020
Ripon charity uses robot cats to help dementia sufferers
Dementia sufferers in North Yorkshire have received a new gift to keep their spirits up during lockdown — robot cats.
Knaresborough Rotary Club funded 50 cats for Dementia Forward, a Ripon-based charity that supports people with dementia.
Each robot weighs about the same as a cat and interacts in a lifelike way, creating a calming effect.
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Jill Quinn, chief executive of Dementia Forward, said people had become attached to the cats after the charity trialed them.
She said:
https://youtu.be/7G_Ue-mM3_w
The cats are part of a wider effort to find innovative ways to help people during the pandemic and lockdown.
Dementia Forward, which is funded by North Yorkshire County Council to provide dementia support in the county, has launched a 'cafe in a box' scheme.
The initiative involves delivering boxes tailored to each individual interests, for instance puzzles, jigsaws, books, games, laminated jokes and sheets with activities.
Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate has donated teabags and biscuits to the boxes, hence the 'cafe' name.
Marie-Ann Jackson, head of stronger communities at North Yorkshire County Council, said:
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