Robotic pets offer help to people with dementia in East Sussex

Lifelike robotic pets are being used in East Sussex to help people diagnosed with early-onset dementia.

East Sussex County Council's RoboPets scheme aims to act as a distraction by giving people with the early stages of the condition a robotic cat or dog.

Since the pilot project's launch in April, 50 robotic pets have found homes across the county.

The council's lead member for adult social care, Carl Maynard, said he was delighted by the positive reaction.

He said: "A dementia diagnosis can come as a shock. This project aims to help people cope with the symptoms, by aiding independence and providing companionship and comfort."

Dementia is a symptom found in many diseases of the brain, with Alzheimer's by far the most common cause.

Memory loss is the most common feature, particularly the struggle to remember recent events.

In 2019, almost 9,500 people in East Sussex were living with dementia, the council said.

As well as helping when a client becomes anxious, the robotic pets provide companionship which can ease the pressure felt by carers, the authority said. They are also a talking point, which can aid conversation.

Claire, a social prescriber who recently delivered a pet, described the moment as "very humbling".

She said the person took to the pet straight away, gave it a name, talked to it, stroked and brushed it.

Following positive feedback since the project's launch, the council's Occupational Therapy team is now working to identify 50 further clients whose health and wellbeing may benefit.

Those eligible will be contacted directly.

When the project ends in April 2024, the council said it would establish whether it was cost-effective and whether the pets should be made more widely available.

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