Animal therapy, service dogs, pets & dementia care
Many people feel that their pets are helpful to their health and well-being. Now researchers are also accumulating evidence for the positive impacts of animal therapies on the lives of people with dementia. Join us August 10 for an online conversation sharing findings, tips, context, personal stories and more.
Are you a person living with dementia who has found access to animals or pets helpful? Are you a caregiver or family member who has observed the positive effects of animals or pets on the life of someone with dementia? Do you remain a “dog person” or “cat person” (or “axolotl person,” etc.!) irrespective of what health issues come your way?
Then please join us for a free public panel conversation about Animal therapy, service dogs, pets & dementia care happening on August 10 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Zoom.
Register now to reserve your spot.
The panel is part of Dementia Talks! Canada, a talks series that tries to bring researchers, community workers and people with lived experience together to have unique conversations about dementia-related topics.
Speakers confirmed so far include:
- Dr. Ardra Cole, Professor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, founder of the national charity ElderDog Canada, and researcher on older adult–canine relationships, among other topics
- Dr. Frédéric Dumont, Research Professional at the Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration at Laval University in Quebec City; Frédéric has recently worked with Dr. Claude Vincent to evaluate the impact of service dogs on people living with dementia
- Trisha Halpenny, caregiver of a family member living with dementia, and dog owner
- Wendy Hodgson, person living with mild cognitive impairment, caregiver of a family member living with dementia, and therapy-dog owner
The talk will be moderated by Sian Lockwood, Knowledge Transfer & Exchange Associate at the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
This talk will take place in English, with live interpretation provided in French.
After happening on Zoom, the talk will be posted to our YouTube channel and on alzheimer.ca/talks so that more people can continue to learn from the conversation.
If you are passionate about animals and pets and their positive impacts on health — or even the challenges they might pose in certain health situations, or ways animal interactions might need to adapt around dementia — we would love for you to join us.
More about the speakers in this conversation
Dr. Ardra Cole
Dr. Ardra Cole is Professor in Lifelong Learning at Mount Saint Vincent University and Founder of ElderDog Canada – a national charity to support the well-being of older adults and their canine companions.
ElderDog was inspired by Ardra’s program of research on caregiving and Alzheimer’s disease. Her current research focuses on the meaning of dogs in seniors’ lives and the role of dogs in continuing care.
Ardra has published extensively in conventional and non-conventional academic prose and in alternative, scholarly, non-print media. Ardra has had a lifelong commitment to volunteering and extensive experience in animal-assisted therapy and pet loss bereavement.
She has received several awards for her research and community service including the Urban Animal Innovation Award, Northwood Live More Award for Distinction in Research, Canadian Progress Club Halifax Citadel Women of Excellence Award (Trailblazer), the Mount Saint Vincent University President’s Award for External Service and The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship Award. As she moves through life in the company of dogs, Ardra continues to learn about the meaning of love, loyalty, and living in the moment.
Frédéric Dumont
Frédéric Dumont holds a PhD in neurobiology from Université Laval as well as a graduate certificate in project management from UQAR. He has worked at the Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (Cirris, in Quebec City) since 2011 as a research professional on a variety of projects that have evolved over the years.
In his early years at Cirris, he coordinated a major Canada-wide study on the needs of people with spinal cord injury. Also having an artistic side, he was put forward by the granting agency that funded this study (Rick Hansen Institute) in their series of portraits of key players in research. .
He also had the chance to work with Dr. Claude Vincent on various assessment tools related to social participation, and on a series of three research projects evaluating the impact of service dogs in the lives of people using a wheelchair, of veterans with PTSD, and of people living with dementia, as well as their caregivers.
Trisha Halpenny
Trisha Halpenny (BSc, MHA) is a caregiver for her father who has been living with dementia for almost 5 years. Trisha is also an animal lover and dog-owner and has seen first-hand the amazing effect that animals can have on the lives of those living with dementia through her own dog’s interactions with her father.
Trisha is passionate about bringing animals into the lives of those living with dementia, and other chronic illnesses, in an effort to focus less on the illness and more on enhancing quality of life.
Trisha works as a Senior Project Manager for Providence Health Care in Vancouver, where she implements clinical digital solutions to support patient care. Trisha also volunteers as a judge with Skate Canada and on the Activity Committee with Big Sisters of BC and Lower Mainland.
Wendy Hodgson
Wendy Hodgson grew up in Montreal, came to the University of Guelph for her BA and loved the area so much she never left. After her retirement from a career in education in 2009, Wendy and her husband took their 37-foot sailboat south to the Bahamas and Caribbean, where they spent 9 winters sailing, snorkelling, hiking, and enjoying the beautiful islands and wonderful people.
In 2018, Wendy moved her mother to a facility in Guelph so she could assist with her care. That same year, at the age of 65, Wendy began noticing signs of her own cognitive decline and was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), amnestic type. Wendy became an avid researcher of all things related to MCI and dementia, and has learned first-hand the powerful impact lifestyle can have on the progression of disease. She is somewhat obsessive about monitoring and improving her diet, exercise, sleep, social activities and new learning activities.
In addition to spending time with family and friends, taking advantage of activities in her community, and dabbling with writing, one of Wendy’s favourite things is walking, training, playing with and loving her four-year-old miniature poodle, Piper.
Seeing the positive effect Piper has when visiting her mom, Wendy had Piper qualified as a St. John’s Ambulance therapy dog, and they spend time each week visiting in assisted living and memory care, where Piper is well loved by residents and staff alike.
Moderator: Sian Lockwood
Sian Lockwood is a Knowledge Transfer and Exchange Associate at the Alzheimer Society of Canada, where she co-develops knowledge translation and exchange tools and resources that provide information and education to people living with dementia and care partners.
Sian holds a BSc Psychology and a Master in Library and Information Science. She previously worked at the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, Alzheimer Society UK and the Partnerships in Dementia Care Alliance, University of Waterloo, where she supported lived experience advisory groups, information services and research that is changing the culture of dementia care, enabling older adults and people living with dementia to and their care partners to live well. She lives in New Brunswick with her husband and two dogs.
For more information
If you have any questions or suggestions about this or any other Dementia Talks! Canada event, please email publications@alzheimer.ca.
Dementia Talks! Canada is produced by Alzheimer Society of Canada and Brain Canada, two of Canada's leading brain-health organizations.