How animals are changing lives in aged care
Pet therapy. Yep, it’s a real thing, and it’s making a difference in the lives of elderly and sick people around the world. Previously, we looked at how pets can benefit our health, and if they can bring happiness and wellbeing to everyday people, then why not to those who need it the most?
Many aged care facilities are reaping the rewards of employing therapy dogs and other animals to help increase their patients’ quality of life. Studies have shown there are countless benefits to engaging the services of a therapy pet, including:
- Lifted mood and reduced stress
- Increased social interaction among patients
- Increased physical and mental activity
- Decreased fatigue
Some proponents of pet therapy have even claimed that the ageing process in patients visited by therapy animals is significantly delayed.
It’s not all about cats and dogs, however. The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre in Brisbane has employed five goats to help improve the lives of their patients. Maryann Curry, the centre’s CEO told TotalPets, “The residents and staff love them and feed them so much that [the goats] now refuse to eat the grass growing in the paddock and we have to mow the hill with machinery.”
Patients at Macquarie Lodge in Sydney are also benefitting from some four-legged love, thanks to a Chihuahua named Bella. The Centre Manager Maryanne Gray said the pooch’s small stature doesn’t stop her from having a big impact on the lives of patients. “She spends her days visiting the residents, attending board game activities, bus trips and keeping residents company at the hairdresser. Bella is nursed by a lot of the people here, it’s good therapy.”
Though it’s true that pets are still not allowed at many aged care facilities, they are becoming increasingly more accepted in the industry. If it helps patients, then why fight it?
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