Country’s first dementia-friendly vets is in Rotherham

Vets4Pets in Moorgate has signed up to the the Dementia Action Alliance (DAA), under which members pledge to take actions to improve their services for people with dementia.

Staff at the practice have become “Dementia Friends” so that they are more aware of how they can support people living with dementia bringing their pets to the surgery, made the premises more dementia friendly using better signage and use text, email and telephone prompts to remind clients about appointments.

They have also offered to visit Alzheimer's Society Memory Cafés to offer support to people with dementia and their carers who might have questions about caring for their pets.

Sonia Walker from Vets4Pets, Rotherham said: “Staff at Vets4Pets pride themselves on the service that we offer to our customers, including those who are living with dementia.”

The aim of the Dementia Action Alliance is to help create a community where people with dementia feel confident, understood and supported to live well.

Liz Hopkinson, Alzheimer’s Society's Service Manager for Rotherham said:

“It’s vital that people living with dementia should still be able to use all the services that everyone  else in a community can.

“Animal lovers get a great deal of pleasure from their pets and people with dementia may need support to access vets services — it is great that Vets4Pets are keen to become dementia friendly.”

To find out more about becoming a Dementia Friend, email [email protected] or visit www.dementiaaction.org.uk.