The delight of dementia patients was clear to see on their faces on Saturday as they enjoyed the first of their weekly dog-petting sessions.

Jasmin Nursing Home in Msida has joined forces with K9-Urban Search and Rescue Malta (USAR) to bring the patients the benefits of this unusual therapy.

Research indicates that petting dogs can have a positive impact on both those who suffer from autism at a young age as well as sufferers of dementia. The therapy reduces blood pressure and stress and triggers a ‘feel-good’ hormone.

Speaking to The Sunday Times of Malta, Joe Spiteri from K9-USAR said: “The joy that these animals bring out of the patients is just incredible.”

Mr Spiteri recalled an instance where a patient hadn’t uttered a word in three months and soon after dog therapy began to speak again.

“Patients ask us with a sense of urgency when we will be back with the dogs. Seeing their face transformed into a joyous smile is something that brings happiness to the heart,” he said.

The aim of the sessions is for dementia patients to get a sense of home and warmth.

The dogs are Belgian Shepherds and Border Collies.

Reuben Vella Bray, general manager of the Jasmin Nursing Home, said the aim of the sessions is for dementia patients to get a sense of home and warmth. “Our objective is to use less medication and more motivation,” he said. 

Dog petting is part of a range of services provided by the home. Other therapies include photo story sessions, where dementia sufferers are encouraged to bring their old photos and talk about them, recalling their younger days.

“It’s fascinating when you hear the details coming out and they recall the memories captured in those snapshots,” Mr Vella Bray said.

Another therapy involves sketching, where clients are encouraged to draw what they have in mind and then explain why they chose that particular subject.

“Through these sessions, brain cells are stimulated and sleep cells get moving.”

As Milan Kundera, the Czech-born French writer once said: “To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring. It was peace.”

Last June, Nationalist MP Mario Galea tabled a parliamentary question asking whether recent statistics were available showing how many Maltese suffered from dementia. In reply, Social Solidarity Minister Michael Falzon referred to a 2012 study conducted by the University of Malta which showed that 5,198 persons had the condition. The study forecast the figure would rise to 9,883 by 2030.