Pet Therapy for the Elderly Patient

Pet therapy is the practice of bringing animals and people together for a therapeutic effect. This form of therapy has been around since 1970, and continues to gain popularity, especially within the senior community.

Animal Assisted Activities (AAA), is a division of pet therapy for seniors that is not necessarily medically supervised. Animal Assisted Activities focuses on improving the quality of life for senior citizens. Many times volunteers engage in the practice of visiting nursing homes or retirement communities with pets in tow. The idea behind Animal Assisted Activities is that these special furry friends will encourage motivation, recreation, and education in the senior patients.

Animal Assisted Therapy, or AAT, is a division of pet therapy for seniors that is supervised by a trained medical professional. Animals that meet certain strict criteria are paired with seniors to improve the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical functions of a senior patient.

Other divisions of pet therapy for seniors can include full time service animals, Human Animal Support Services (HASS), or Resident Animals that live in a facility and are cared for by staff and patients on a daily basis.

There have been many benefits attributed to pet therapy for seniors. Pet therapy has been proven to reduce anxiety in stressful situations, reinforce therapeutic exercises, improve communication skills, as well as having a positive effect on the overall mood of the patient. Caring for Resident Animals as part of a pet therapy regime for seniors is thought to give patients a sense of purpose because the animals depend on them for care.

While pet therapy for seniors may seem like an innocent and relatively trouble free option, there is a downside. If an animal passes away while under the care of a patient, that senior may feel responsible for the death or illness, or experience extreme feelings of guilt that could require more intensive forms of therapy. If an animal engaged in pet therapy is cared for by more than one patient, there may occur instances of possessiveness or jealousy if the animal seems to prefer one patient over the other. Human injury, animal injury, or allergic reactions in patients can also be an accidental consequence of pet therapy for seniors.

All patients that intend to participate in pet therapy should be examined by their physician to ensure that they are healthy enough to engage in these activities. Animals used for the purpose of pet therapy for seniors should be properly and thoroughly screened to make sure that they are an appropriate match for this type of program.

The pet therapy program for seniors should be monitored by veterinarians and health care professionals alike to ensure that patient and pet are safe, healthy, and receiving all of the benefits that pet therapy has to offer.

Each state may have unique guidelines concerning pet therapy for seniors. To see if someone close to you is a good candidate for pet therapy, speak with the administration of the nursing home, retirement center, or physician.

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