What is Pet Therapy in Senior Living?
Animal assisted therapy, also known as pet therapy, is a therapeutic approach where trained animals and individuals interact to improve social, emotional, physical, and cognitive well-being. Pet therapy involves guided interaction with a handler and a certified therapy animal that follows safety procedures.
Many senior living communities offer pet therapy programs through partnerships with organizations that provide trained, screened and certified therapy animals. Participating in pet therapy creates a safe and comforting environment for older adults. Therapy animals are most often dogs, but there are many programs that also include cats, rabbits, birds and more.
Interacting with these animals through activities such as petting, grooming, playing, or walking can provide meaningful emotional support for seniors. These interactions are associated with reduced anxiety, lower stress levels, and decreased feelings of loneliness.
Explore the many benefits of pet therapy for seniors in assisted living and memory care.
Emotional Benefits of Pet Therapy for Seniors
Pet therapy provides emotional support and companionship to seniors. There are many benefits associated with animal-assisted therapy. It is estimated that 43% of adults 60 and older experience loneliness. Loneliness can lead to further emotional distress such as feeling sadness or worry. Pet therapy can help counteract loneliness and actually provide many emotional benefits.
Some emotional benefits of pet therapy include:
- Companionship
- Mood regulation
- Increased social engagement
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Decreased loneliness and isolation
These benefits can lead to positive shifts in a senior’s mood and stress levels. In fact, studies show 83% of individuals 50 and older who own pets state that pet ownership gives them a sense of purpose and belonging. Having scheduled pet therapy sessions can help reduce agitation, anxiety and loneliness, improving senior’s emotional health overall.
Physical Health Benefits of Pet Interaction for Seniors
An active lifestyle can help seniors become more independent in their daily lives and lead to a higher quality of life.
Pet therapy activities can help keep seniors active and engaged. Some of these activities include:
- Petting
- Going on walks
- Brushing and grooming
- Playing with toys
Pet therapy provides many physical benefits for seniors, such as:
- Enhanced fine motor skills
- Improved hand-eye coordination
- Increased mobility
- Regulated blood pressure
- Increased cardio
Pet therapy promotes light physical activity for seniors without involving strenuous exercise. It can help improve skills needed for everyday activities and encourage greater independence.
How Pet Therapy Supports Cognitive Health
Pet therapy also supports cognitive function and memory for seniors. On average, at the age of 70, approximately two out of three Americans experience some level of cognitive impairment. Engaging in activities that support cognitive health can lead to healthier brain function.
Animal-assisted therapy can spark positive memory recall in seniors who may have had pets in the past. This can lead seniors to tell stories and engage with their peers.
Pet therapy has also shown to reduce stress and anxiety. This can lead to better mood regulation and provide a calm environment for seniors.
Some other cognitive health benefits of pet therapy include:
- Memory recall
- Increased social engagement
- Mood regulation
- Enhanced attention span
- Increased focus
These cognitive benefits can help seniors build emotional connections with others and promote positive engagement.
Pet therapy creates a welcoming environment where seniors can interact, spend time with others, and recall happy memories.
Why Does Pet Therapy Matter in Memory Care?
Pet therapy is especially beneficial in memory care communities. Memory care is a type of long-term care residence for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.
Almost 10% of adults aged 65 or older are living with dementia, while another 22% have mild cognitive impairment. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, it is estimated that 7.4 million Americans aged 65 or older are living with Alzheimer’s disease in 2026, and about 74% are aged 65 or older.
Pet therapy brings many benefits to a memory care setting. The companionship of an animal can stimulate the release of serotonin, which helps promote a sense of calm, comfort and happiness.
The presence of a pet in a memory care community can also:
- Reduce anxiety and agitation
- Reduce loneliness
- Improve seniors’ mood
- Support cognitive function
- Spark memory recall
- Promote meaningful storytelling with peers.
These cognitive benefits can help seniors with dementia build emotional connections with others and encourage positive engagement.
Conclusion
Overall, pet therapy provides a wide range of emotional, physical and cognitive benefits for seniors. These benefits demonstrate the positive impact and effectiveness pet therapy programs can make in a senior’s life.
Pet therapy is also beneficial for seniors in memory care, as it helps with memory recall, social interaction, and in overall engagement.
Activities involving therapy animals help seniors stay active while also reducing stress and anxiety. Regular weekly or monthly sessions can also help seniors build meaningful friendships within a senior living community, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation.
It is clear that pet therapy has countless benefits for residents of senior living communities.
How Senior Consulting Advisors Can Help You Find a Senior Living Community with Pet Therapy
Many senior living communities are pet-friendly facilities, but policies and programs can vary from one community to another. When touring communities, it is important to ask about pet policies as well as available pet therapy programs.
Senior Consulting Advisors can help simplify the process and serve as your advocate in finding senior living communities that offer pet therapy programs. We offer these consulting and placement services at no cost to seniors.
Please call us at (800) 969-7176 or reach out to us on our website, SeniorConsultingAdvisor.com for help finding the right community for you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Therapy:
Do all senior living communities in Florida offer pet therapy?
Not every senior living community in Florida offers pet therapy, but many do. Every community has different policies and programs. When touring communities, it is important to ask about pet policies as well as available pet therapy programs. If pet therapy is one of your priorities, our advisors can help you find a community that offers it!
How are therapy animals different from service animals?
Therapy animals are trained and certified to visit multiple individuals in a public setting. The goal of pet therapy is to provide comfort, companionship and joy for a specific group. They are usually scheduled sessions or programs that are set up by senior living communities, schools or hospitals.
A service animal is trained to help only one individual with a disability. They are trained to help their owner with everyday activities and to alert someone if there is a medical emergency.
How are the therapy pets certified?
All therapy dogs have to go through basic training. Depending on the therapy group, some require therapy animals to pass the Canine Good Citizen Test before taking the group therapy test. These tests assess animals’ obedience, social interactions, response to basic commands, and other skills. They go through extensive training and are well-behaved, making them prepared for public engagements for all ages.
