The benefits of having a pet have long been known. More and more, healthcare professionals are also realizing how beneficial it can be for people with dementia.
One of the biggest benefits is improving your well-being. Alan Beck, ScD, director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University, says that simply petting an animal such as a dog or cat, can lower your blood pressure and your stress hormones. Additionally, it will increase your oxytocin levels. This is the feel-good hormone you want more of.
For many people with dementia, especially in the early stages, depression can be common. Mid- and late-stage Alzheimer’s and dementia residents often experience anxiety and agitation. Dogs and cats may ease the anxiety.
Intuitive Animals
Animals are very perceptive and tune in when someone is feeling anxious or down. They seem to know what that person needs and are able to offer comfort that another person cannot. Animals are great friends. They listen, ask no questions and pass no judgments.
What About Fish
Researchers at Purdue University found in a study that displaying tanks of brightly colored fish may curtail disruptive behaviors and improve eating habits of people with the disease of Alzheimer’s dementia. The study showed a decrease in dementia behaviors such as wandering, pacing, yelling and physical aggression. Getting someone with this disease to eat is sometimes a challenge and the study showed that the average increase in food consumption was 17.2 percent.
Pet Therapy
There are numerous organizations that offer pet therapy due to the increase in popularity. Therapy dogs and other animals can stimulate social interaction and ease agitation in dementia patients.
Ways Pets Are Able to Help Patients With Dementia
Physical Activity
Pets, especially dogs, are great to help seniors get up and move around. Petting, walking and playing with them provides an activity all seniors can enjoy.
Emotional Support
The loss of friends and family, a job or sense of purpose often may cause someone to spiral into a depressed state. Being able to release pent-up emotions helps to avoid depression which is a common problem as people age.
Not only do pets help with de-stressing, their non-judgmental nature can also be very comforting to someone with dementia. If you have ever had a dog or cat as a child you probably shared your problems with them.
Sense of Purpose
Everyone needs to have a sense of purpose. Pets of any kind can give someone with dementia a feeling of being needed. Whether it be a soft kitten who wants to be stroked or birds that need to be fed, animals can provide a much-needed feeling of belonging.
Reminiscing
Any senior who has had a pet as a child will most likely remember something about that experience. This is a great way to get someone to open up and share information and experiences from their past. Residents often talk to each other more when pets are around. They want to tell others about the dog, cat or another animal they remember so dearly.
This article is brought to you by Sycamore Creek Ranch Memory Care.