Pet Therapy for Seniors
Pet Therapy for Seniors Comes in Many Forms and Serves Many Purposes
Pet therapy is a general term that refers to the use of animals for treatment and companionship. It encompasses both animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted activities. While these two terms are closely related, they are not technically the same thing.
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) — AAT draws on the aid of animals for therapeutic treatment. It is structured to meet specific therapy goals and is overseen by a health professional who has a keen understanding of the way humans and animals interact. The professional documents each session and tracks patient progress. For instance, a physical therapist might ask an elderly man who is recovering from a stroke to brush a dog's coat or toss a ball to a dog as a way of regaining the mobility in his hands.
Animal-assisted activities (AAA) — AAA are more free-form, and they are conducted without any specific treatment goals in mind. Typically, specially trained therapy dogs or cats provide comfort and cheer to elderly people by visiting hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, and assisted living facilities. Facility staff generally provide some guidance and assistance, but they don't keep formal notes. Essentially, "pet therapy" refers to guided human-animal interactions that are meant to help improve people's quality of life.
Pets Aren't Just For Senior Entertainment
Having animals around can benefit seniors in a whole host of ways. For instance, walking a dog is obviously good exercise. Feeding, brushing, and caring for a pet can also help a senior feel needed and purposeful. Plus, the total acceptance and unconditional love that animals give can go a long way toward lowering people's stress levels and helping shift their focus away from their own problems. Indeed, animal-assisted therapy is becoming increasingly widespread.
Research has shown that dogs are attuned to human emotional states and will seek to help people in distress. So it's not surprising that therapy dogs are good for easing anxiety in and providing comfort to older adults. Dogs are used in therapy to offer companionship and affection and enhance people's physical and mental health. Commonly, dog therapy programs involve volunteer animals and their handlers coming to spend time with elderly people. When a therapy dog visits, the seniors might feed, pet, groom, walk, or play with the animal. These interactions can help speed a senior's recovery from illness or injury or just help lift his or her spirits. Some long-term care facilities have therapy dogs that live on-site and are handled by a trained staff member; in such cases, residents often work together to care for the animals. Other facilities arrange for pet visits from local volunteers or organizations.
What's Best For Pet Therapy
Did you know you can also arrange for therapy dog home visits? Some organizations offer free services whereby a volunteer handler and therapy dog make periodic visits to seniors who still live in their own homes but are lonely, isolated, or struggling with physical impairments.
To be effective as therapy dogs, the animals must be patient, obedient, calm, friendly, well-socialized, and even-tempered. They must welcome being petted and cuddled by unfamiliar people and take direction well. In addition, a therapy dog trainer must ensure that the dogs become acclimated to equipment like canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and motorized beds. And dogs that work with dementia patients must be comfortable with the mood swings that people with this condition frequently exhibit. While any breed of dog can be a therapy dog, some breeds are noted for their suitability to serve. Some of the most frequently used dogs for therapy include Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, St. Bernards, beagles, poodles, pugs, Boston terriers, and greyhounds.
Does "Pet" Just Mean Dog?
While dogs are the most common type of pet used in animal therapy, a growing number of other species are also performing this kind of work. For instance, cats can be good for therapy. They are the only animals that purr, and cuddling with a purring cat can soothe a person's mood. Plus, it has been demonstrated that when cats purr, they produce a sound frequency that is ideal for promoting bone growth and healing in humans.
However, almost any animal can be a therapy animal if it has the right temperament and training. Love on a Leash certifies cats, dogs, and rabbits as therapy pets. Pet Partners provides therapy animal training and registration for nine different species: Dogs, cats, horses, guinea pigs, rabbits, llamas, rats, birds, and miniature pigs can all be used for pet therapy.
Take Advantage of Pet Therapy
Pet therapy for elderly people can boost their well-being and improve their physical, mental, and emotional functioning. Interacting with a kind and affectionate animal can lower people's stress levels, help them become more active, and bring them out of their shells. This can be immensely helpful to seniors who are struggling with loneliness or dealing with health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, chronic pain, or dementia.
If you or a loved one needs senior care, give us a call at(405) 216-3726 or
