UK: Medical students at University of Sheffield spend time on Heeley City farm helping dementia patients re-connect with memories
A future doctor in South Yorkshire has told how she and her coursemates have been using animals to help dementia patients unearth old memories.
By Susie Beever
Yorkshire Post
2nd June 2021
Excerpt:
Through their ‘Farming Comes to You’ initiative, people with dementia can spend time with the farm inhabitants as part of the Animal Assisted Therapy.
“There was one lady living with dementia who was quite vulnerable. After doing a full risk assessment, she was able to come one afternoon and sit outside and be around animals for her mental health,” recalled Lucy.
“I remember her being a bit withdrawn and quiet, but the minute she sat down and a guinea pig was placed on her lap and the goats were let out to roam around her, she just came to life.
“She started chatting to me freely about her life and singing to me all these songs that she knew from her childhood, and it really just showed how calming the effect of animals can be on people. No drug could have helped her feel that happy with herself.”
Along with two other students, Ms Dean created dementia-friendly cards that were sent out with Christmas hamper boxes to provide locals with a glimpse into the farm’s animal family amid coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
“As a future clinician, I have to understand that people like to communicate differently and I have to be open to that and help them as much as possible with it.
