Animal Therapy For Dementia
Types Of Pet Therapy
Animals are a real blessing to all of us but especially can make a difference to the life of someone who’s living with dementia. Pet therapy has long been recognised as a beneficial way for people living with various conditions to cope better with their symptoms, and therapy animals are regularly taken into hospitals, care homes, and hospices to support people who are struggling.
Pet therapy can take many forms, from furry friends such as dogs, cats, and rabbits, reptiles and spiders, and even horses! People who are living in care homes will most likely have had to give up their pets when they left their beloved home which is why pet therapy can be so beneficial for animal lovers.
That’s another reason why remaining in your own home to receive the care you need is such a positive experience. Because Helping Hands come to you when you need additional support, you don’t have to move out of the home you love, and away from the animals you cherish. Our visiting and live-in carers will help you to take care of your furry friends meaning you get the physical and emotional benefits of their devotion to you, whether that’s taking them for a walk, brushing their fur, or letting them sit on your shoulder. And because all of our care services are fully regulated by the Care Quality Commission and Care Inspectorate Wales, you’ll always be expertly supported.
Benefits of Animal Therapy
The benefits of animal therapy can’t just be measured on an immediate level. It’s true that if you’re interacting with an animal it can help to reduce stress and anxiety levels and increase happiness, yet some of the longer-term benefits to our health are only beginning to be understood by scientists. According to the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Animals can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels, symptoms of PTSD, and improve cognitive function in older adults.
Improvement in mood
Dementia UK tell us that benefits of animal therapy are vast, especially when you’re struggling with your health. “Pets can be a great source of routine, purpose and reassurance, especially when you’re feeling low.” Depression can be a risk for someone who is living with dementia as they struggle to come to terms with the changing world around them, but by interacting with animals they can gain some of the feelings of comfort and reassurance that they may be lacking.
A Calming Effect
Animal assisted therapy has been shown to significantly lower blood pressure of selected people receiving care. In a study published in 2008, psychologists carried out pet therapy with some nursing home residents and it was shown that it had a positive effect on their levels of calm. There are studies that have also revealed significant lowering of blood pressure.
Decreased risk of challenges
When someone is living with dementia there can be occasions of behaviour that challenges, often fuelled by frustration, anxiety, or confusion. Spending time with an animal can help to reduce these feelings in some people. The Alzheimer’s Society tells us it’s because “Visits from an animal can be an energetic experience or an exciting part of a person’s day. Animals can be a wonderful source of love and laughter for people with dementia.”
Improved Nutrition
Increasing people’s emotional wellbeing can also have a beneficial effect on aspects of their life that they may have been neglecting, such as nutrition. If a person is feeling very depressed and despondent, they may not want to eat or drink, so by improving their emotional wellbeing it may also encourage their appetite to return. Having something else to focus on outside of how we feel can often give us the impetus to feel more comforted within ourselves, and interacting with a pet is one way that people living with dementia may feel they have a renewed purpose.
Increased Social Interaction
Social isolation and loneliness are two of the biggest risks for people living with dementia as their condition progresses, but by having a pet in their home it will be a comfort and company for them between family or carer visits. The Alzheimer’s Society say that animals “can improve self-esteem and confidence in people with dementia. It can also promote quality of life and encourage independence. If a person with dementia is having trouble communicating with others or having conversations, looking after a pet may help them to stay engaged and involved.”
Increased Physical Activity
Pet therapy may be enormously beneficial for someone who wishes to increase their physical activity. Not only will interacting with an animal increase personal movement, it may also encourage them to venture outside, for example to walk the dog with a carer. This will benefit them both physically and emotionally and boost wellbeing as they feel less isolated from the outside world and local community.
How Helping Hands Help with Dementia Care
Helping Hands have been supporting people living with dementia for decades so you can trust us when we say we’re the dementia experts. Because we solely deliver care in our customers’ homes, we understand exactly what it takes to help people to feel as independent as possible in the home they love, while making sure that they have the support they need. Our vast branch network across England and Wales ensures that we can deliver local care where it’s needed most, with our centralised support office always ready to help. We have a whole team of clinical nurses who work for us along with dementia champions who ensure that our dementia training remains at the forefront of industry developments. We believe in the whole-person at Helping Hands – keeping people at the centre of their own dementia care experience and ensuring that they get the very best support we can deliver, whether that’s on a visiting care or live-in care basis. Having professional carers regularly visiting you at home or living in with you means that you’ll have all the support you need while your family get to take a break, even if only for a couple of precious hours. This will benefit them too meaning that when you’re back together you are all feeling refreshed and ready to face another day. We can provide longer respite too, from a few days to weeks, and because your care package will be designed to your requirements you can be sure your routine will always proceed as you want it to.