HammondCare expands rescued greyhound pilot

A pilot of rescued greyhounds visiting HammondCare aged care homes will be expanded so more older Australians, including many living with dementia, can enjoy the feelings of engagement and improved wellbeing that comes from spending time with animals.

Under the Hounds Helping Humans pilot, nine Greyhound Rescue teams of handlers and hounds have been visiting residents at HammondCare’s Horsley, Wahroonga and Darlinghurst aged care homes since June last year.

HammondCare and Greyhound Rescue together announced they will now move towards expanding the program as part of Animal Engagement opportunities with the goal of involving all HammondCare’s residential aged care sites in NSW, with potential for Victoria later this year and South Australia at a later time.

The HammondCare Foundation, the fundraising arm of HammondCare, has launched the Lend a Helping Hound campaign to raise the costs of expanding the program. While the handlers are volunteers, there are training, administrative and incidental costs. 

HammondCare CEO Mike Baird said the greyhounds have brought joy to the faces of the residents involved throughout the pilot.

“This is one innovative way that we can achieve our ambition to set the global standard for relationship-based care for people with complex needs,” Baird said.

Many of the 2000 residents who will potentially benefit live with dementia.

Greyhound Rescue President Nat Panzarino said feedback from the handlers on the pilot was all positive. They could see the pilot making residents happier.

“They have enjoyed watching the special connections between the residents and greyhounds grow each week they came to visit. There is genuine excitement when the hounds arrive,” she said.

“The handlers have absolutely loved being involved as well, it’s very fulfilling, and for many of the hounds it has quickly become their favourite activity,” she said.

The pilot operated within tight processes with both participating residents and greyhounds carefully chosen.

The greyhounds were trained to prepare them for an aged care environment, including the sights and equipment commonly found in an aged care home, such as wheelchairs.

An internal review of the Hounds Helping Humans pilot found positives of the program included that it strengthened relationships, elevated mood and benefited everyone involved. Challenges included the time limitations of visits, greyhounds sometimes becoming overstimulated and the need for more greyhounds and handlers to support greater reach within the homes.

Horsley resident Ann Wilcox spoke adoringly of the hounds, “They are so soft. They look at you and they are so nice,” she said.

Associate Professor Steve Macfarlane, Dementia Centre Head of Clinical Services, said research had found significant health benefits for people living with dementia from animal engagement.

Previous animal engagement programs with seniors have pointed to improvements in quality of life through decreased loneliness and depression, increasing physical activity and improved socialisation.

“What better way to evaluate the success of animal engagement than to see the reactions from the residents — they clearly enjoy the interactions immensely,” Macfarlane said.

He said greyhounds were great for people in aged care because of both their calm, affectionate nature and their higher stature, making then accessible to people confined to beds, chairs or wheelchairs.

Image caption: HammondCare residents Ann Wilcox and Helen Ryan with hounds Brock and LB. Image: Supplied.