How pet therapy can be beneficial to older people in ...

Key Points:

If you are unable to bring your pet into an aged care home, you may still be able to engage with animals through pet therapy

Older people feel more energised, enthusiastic, and inspired after spending time with a pet

Many people with dementia seem to have positive reactions to pet therapy sessions

Pets not only offer companionship and unconditional love, in fact, emerging research suggests they may have the ability to boost health and general well-being, especially in older people.

Unfortunately, many aged care facilities are not pet-friendly. The family dog may not be able to make the trip to a nursing home with their owner.

Luckily, pet therapy is becoming more widely used throughout aged care facilities. Animal visits are one-way nursing homes that aim to improve residents’ moods.

What is pet therapy?

Pet therapy, also known as animal-assisted therapy, involves treatment through a guided animal interaction to improve someone’s physical, mental or social health.

Research has found people who have pets or interact with pets, are generally more healthier compared with non-pet owners.

Pet therapy is available in residential aged care settings, retirement living, home and community care, rehabilitation centres and hospices.

Benefits of pet therapy for the elderly

Pet therapy has the ability to enhance someone’s quality of life, can have ongoing physical benefits and improve any ongoing health ailments.

The Animal Welfare League of New South Wales advocates for older people engaging with pets as it increases their quality of life, including by reducing tension, fatigue, and confusion, while also encouraging positive emotions and attitudes.

Pets can also improve one’s life by increasing the amount of physical exercise, socialisation and improvement in mental function.

The excitement of pet therapy can boost residents’ activity levels and help improve the sense of loss many former pet owners feel after moving into an aged care facility. This can go a long way to improving residents’ mental health.

Spending time with pets is correlated to fewer visits to the doctor and reduced medication intake, as well as lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Older people who take part in pet therapy also recover quicker from illness and surgery, deal with stressful situations better, and have a reduced risk of heart disease.

Pet therapy is also a great way of re-engaging an older person who is normally unresponsive to other therapies. A furry friend can make older people feel needed and comforted, and pets can remind the person of former, well-loved pets from their past.

Bringing a dog into an aged care facility, for example, can make the sterile, hospital-like environment feel a lot more homely and joyful. Pet therapy is a great way to pass on the benefits that many pet owners experience.

Benefits of pet therapy for dementia patients

Pet therapy can have fantastic effects on a person with dementia due to the calming nature of animals.

Animals can be quite soothing and can help a person with dementia communicate and articulate themselves better when they are feeling comfortable.

An animal also encourages a person with dementia to express themselves through non-verbal communication and action

Evidence suggests pet therapy can make a person with dementia re-engage with what is happening around them.

In one study, researchers found dementia residents in a nursing home had improved verbal communication function and greater attentiveness after completing a pet therapy program.

Backing up the benefits of pet therapy, Australian researchers found that dog-assisted therapy seemed to have a positive effect on study participants, including improving the baseline depression scores in residents.

Pet therapy can fit in with personal care goals

When an older person loses the capacity to do something they had previously been quite proficient at, it can bring a sense of loss to that individual.

It’s common for a resident to have a care plan around personal goals they want to achieve, whether that is physically, socially or mentally. Pet therapy can provide assistance to reach certain individual goals and fits well within care plans.

Aged care nurses, caregivers or pet therapy teams can assess an individual on whether they are meeting their aspirations and goals in their care plan.

Pet therapy programs may help residents reach goals including the improvement of: