Pet therapy, sometimes called Animal Assisted Therapy, can offer seniors a number of physical, emotional, and mental benefits, and has been used as a general therapeutic tool at least as far back as Florence Nightingale.
After only 15 minutes with an animal, seniors have shown lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and elevated levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for giving us a sense of well-being. Spending time with animals on a consistent basis also helps increase the production of dopamine, another neurotransmitter that promotes and regulates feelings of pleasure and happiness.
These feel-good chemicals can thereby reduce stress and help prevent depression, all while reducing general feelings of loneliness. Such chemicals not only improve mood, but promote cardiovascular functioning by lowering heart rate and blood pressure.
The presence of pets can also help establish a calm and reassuring atmosphere, one particularly beneficial to those with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. In many cases, pets can make it easier for such patients to cope with feelings of agitation.
Pets can be particularly helpful at the end of the day, when so-called "Sundowner's Syndrome," can cause patients to experience exceptionally strong feelings of agitation or confusion.
Having pets around can bring a number of indirect benefits as well.
Dogs need walking, which can give your loved ones an opportunity to take part in cardiovascular exercise. They also need feeding, brushing, and other forms of care, all of which promote general activity and a sense of being needed.
The actual practice of pet therapy can vary significantly and will depend on the circumstances.
Pet-owning seniors who live in the community can be said to be participating in pet therapy.
Often, though, pet therapy implies situations where a handler brings a pet — usually a dog — to a senior’s residence in a facility or in a hospital, so that he or she can spend some time interacting with it. Visits often last for 10-15 minutes but can go longer, especially for group sessions.
In some cases, seniors themselves are trained to be handlers, which has the double benefit of increasing their time with the pet, while extending the reach of pet therapy in a community.
When evaluating pet therapy, it’s important to make sure that pets are properly handled. Pet-friendly residential facilities often provide good support for pet care.
It may be important to check, however, that seniors living alone or in the community are able to care for their pets properly. Not only is this important for the pet, but neglected animals can become increasingly difficult to handle, undermining the therapeutic aims of pet care and ownership.
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