What is Pet Therapy for Seniors?

What Pet Therapy is, and Why It Offers Big Benefits for Older Adults

To help manage issues like chronic pain, depression and anxiety, older adults can take any number of oral medications. Or they can spend a little quality time with a loving animal. It might come as a surprise to some people that there are well-researched physical and emotional benefits associated with interacting with animals through the field of pet therapy. One study published by Frontiers in Psychology and the National Institute of Health concluded that spending just 15 minutes with an animal increases positive hormonal changes in the brain and decreases stress.

But none of this comes as a surprise to pet owners themselves, Cats, dogs and even farm animals like cows, sheep, horses and goats have been shown to improve seniors’ quality of life and improve socialization skills.
For example, take Lila, a five-month-old Golden Retriever. Lila is working to earn her certification as a therapy dog. Once she graduates from therapy classes, Lila will become a full-time team member and contribute to the overall wellness and culture at Santa Marta, a senior living community in Olathe, KS.

Her owner, Kelsey Jardon, director of social services at Santa Marta, said residents are looking very forward to having regular engagement with Lila.
“Every time I bring her to the community, she really perks up and has an extra bounce in her step,” Jardon said. “It’s so neat to watch the impact she has on everyone she meets. It only takes her a few seconds to create smiles and lift spirits from the hugs she gets and kisses she delivers.”

What is pet therapy?

According to the Mayo Clinic, pet therapy is a broad term that includes animal-assisted therapy and other animal-assisted activities. Animal-assisted therapy is a growing field that uses dogs, cats, tropical fish — even iguanas — to help people recover from or better cope with health problems, such as heart disease, cancer and mental health disorders.
Animal-assisted activities, on the other hand, have a more general purpose, such as providing comfort and enjoyment for assisted living or memory care residents.
There are three recognized types of pet therapy for seniors:

1. Visitation therapy. As the most common type of pet therapy for seniors, this type involves animals visiting the senior in their home or in a senior living community.
2. Ownership therapy. This is when the older adult owns the pet and is able to pay for vet visits, pet food and grooming, and is able to walk the pet.
3. Animal-assisted therapy. This intensive form of pet therapy is ideal for older adults who need significant rehabilitation, such as after a stroke, serious fall or heart attack. As part of their therapy, older adults are paired with highly sensitive animals such as dolphins or horses to help build confidence and promote physical skills.

Most pet therapy animals are dogs — mainly because they can be trained, and because there are certain breeds that are ideal for older adults in general. However, VCA Animal Hospitals found other species such as cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses are good candidates. These lovable pets are well trained, have good temperaments and are people-friendly.
Lila has already brought love and joy to so many residents and associates. Lila’s owner, Kelsey, who’s also Santa Marta’s social worker, is confident Lila will continue to make a positive difference in the lives of many more residents for years to come.

Six big benefits of pet therapy for seniors

Pet therapy can commonly be found in senior living communities, hospices, rehabilitation centers and in older adults’ homes. As mentioned earlier, through pet therapy, older adults can realize a number of emotional and physical benefits, from improved socialization to an enhanced quality of life.

1. Pets encourage physical exercise. Walking a dog provides much-needed physical exercise, which leads to improved mobility and a healthier lifestyle overall. Feeding and grooming can help increase seniors’ physical skills and help them become more active.
2. Pets improve an older adult’s sense of self-worth. Caring for a pet helps increase a senior’s self-confidence and self-esteem, providing them a way to feel useful and responsible for something.
3. Animals can improve socialization in seniors. Pets listen without judgment and give unbiased affection, especially when a senior may want to express thoughts they may not be comfortable sharing with family or friends.
4. They can help seniors live longer. Seniors with heart conditions who own pets tend to outlive those who don’t.
5. Pets can help seniors manage physical stress. The ability to have something to pet or touch can result in lower blood pressure, normal heart rate and reduced stress.
6. Pets provide emotional stability during emotional situations, helping reduce anxiety and depression. For dementia patients, animals can be soothing to those who have difficulty using language.

The origins of pet therapy

The earliest known use of pet animals for therapeutic use was in the Middle Ages in Belgium. Pets and people were rehabilitated together, with pets providing a part of the natural therapy for their human counterparts.
The first formal therapeutic work and research was done in 1961 by Dr. Boris Levinson, who noticed how the presence of his dog, Jingles, had a positive effect on impaired young patients during therapy sessions. Levinson later used the expression “pet therapy” in reference to Jingles’ beneficial effects.
A study published in 1980 found heart attack patients who owned pets lived longer than those who didn’t. Another early study found that petting one’s own dog could reduce blood pressure.
More recently, studies have been focusing on the fact that interacting with animals can increase people’s level of the hormone oxytocin, which aids in the body’s ability to heal and grow new cells.

Meet Santa Marta’s new registered therapy support dog

Santa Marta, a 45-acre senior living community in Olathe KS, invites area seniors to meet Lila, soon to become the community’s first registered therapy support dog.
Schedule your visit to see Santa Marta’s campus — and meet Lila! Just contact us or R.S.V.P. to attend an upcoming event.