Care home holds dog café to help calm residents 'if they're feeling anxious or overwhelmed'

A care home in Newcastle upon Tyne holds a weekly dog café to help residents if they are “feeling anxious or overwhelmed”.

The dog café at Tyne Grange care home, which cares for younger adults with acquired brain injuries, complex mental health needs and neuro-disabilities, is hosted by two dogs called Indie and Bella.

Physiotherapist Helen Wilson says having the dog café “increases social interaction between the residents and puts a smile on everyone's face.

“The residents enjoy going out and buying treats and toys for the dogs and practice training them with tricks.

“Our more mobile residents come with me to take Indie for walks on Fridays, which is great for additional exercise.”

Ms Wilson’s therapy dog, Indie, brings “energy and excitement” to the home and has been visiting Tyne Grange every week since the home first opened in 2020, when she was around seven months old.

“It's brilliant having Indie at the home - she really lifts the mood and brings so much energy and excitement to the home.

“When she was a puppy I would make sure that she spent time with each resident, just having cuddles and playing with toys so she became familiar with them all and vice versa.

“As she's grown and everyone has got used to Indie being around, she's become quite the favourite - residents ask about her all the time and look forward to Fridays for ‘Indie cuddles’.

Dog therapy improves emotional wellbeing

Ms Wilson believes Indie has improved the emotional wellbeing of some of the residents, saying: “One particular resident here has Korsakoffs Syndrome and has expressive dysphasia, which means she struggles with communication and finding the right word to use - but as soon as she sees Indie, she gets on the floor with her to play and is able to communicate using appropriate words - she will say things like 'beautiful doggy' and 'lovely puppy', which always takes us all by surprise.

"Another resident waits in bed for Indie to wake her up on a Friday morning - Indie will jump on the bed with Linda and wake her up with licks and cuddles. Linda's face will just light up; it's her favourite wake up call!"

She has also boosted residents’ activity levels at the home.

“Indie takes part in the Pilates sessions that I run, which make everyone laugh when she’s crawling under arms and licking faces.

“She also helps to encourage more outdoor activities; sometimes just playing in the garden or longer walks down to the local park. She brings people together and acts as a buffer for conversation and social interaction between residents who will laugh together at Indie's 'zoomies' or her performing her tricks.

“She can also be a calming influence for some residents when she has 'quiet time', she will sit on the sofa with people and just lie there being stroked and cuddles. This can be really calming for residents if they're feeling anxious or overwhelmed.”

A spokesperson for Exemplar Health Care said: "Survivors of trauma, illness and injury often find comfort and support from companion animals during their rehabilitation."

Dogs are well known for combatting loneliness, boosting activity levels, reducing stress and depression and unlocking memories.

Dogs can bring comfort to people with neuro conditions

“For those living with neuro conditions, dogs can provide lots of benefits, such as relief from loneliness: living with a neuro condition can be an isolating experience, especially if it affects communication, and dogs can bring comfort and company.

“Dogs also give people motivation to move: dogs can be an incentive for people to move and work on their movement as part of rehabilitation.

“In addition dogs are a calming influence: dogs offer love and motivation, and provide a calming and comforting effect on dog lovers, that can help with mental health.”