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:
“They are very lifelike and purr and react when they are stroked.
“They can provide comfort for a person with dementia who is anxious or unable to settle by providing a calming effect.
“One example we witnessed was a woman who was very into arts and crafts, but her dementia meant that she would get anxious and wasn’t able to stay involved in any activity.
“But once we placed the cat on her knee she sat and stroked it – it created a calming distraction which enabled her to stay focussed and enjoy the activity.”
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:
“Like many local organisations across the county who are unable to deliver their normal support services due to the current restrictions, Dementia Forward have come up with some wonderfully innovative and alternative ways to support people.
“The café in a box is such a great idea, especially as they are personalising the boxes so they are really tailored to be an individual’s interests.”
