Paws For Healing!
Animal therapy is highly beneficial to individuals with various mental and physical health issues, seniors may find it especially valuable.
What is animal therapy?
In animal therapy, animals are used to help people with health conditions by providing a type of service, such as delivering deep comfort, practicing physical movements, or assisting with certain tasks. Various types of animal or pet therapy exist, but in all cases, it’s used to benefit an individual on various levels.
For example, the task of grooming an animal, such as a horse or a dog, not only brings a sense of ease to a person but may also help with their fine motor and dexterity skills, along with overall range of motion.
The type of animal and health condition could vary greatly, but the most common animals used in animal therapy are dogs, horses, cats, birds, and rabbits.
What are the benefits of animal therapy?
For many people, by interacting with a friendly animal, they can form a bond with them. This bond can produce a calming state in the person.”
Furthermore, the bond can help with reducing boredom and increase social interactions, leading to an improvement in mood, which is useful for seniors who might experience a taste of isolation. Animal therapy also may increase movement or assist with a physical disability.
For many people, by interacting with a friendly animal, they can form a bond with them. This bond can produce a calming state in the person.”
Furthermore, the bond can help with reducing boredom and increase social interactions, leading to an improvement in mood, which is useful for seniors who might experience a taste of isolation. Animal therapy also may increase movement or assist with a physical disability. In fact it was reported that “senior” pet owners made 30% less calls for medical treatment, compared to those who do not own pets.
So, whether you’re petting a four legged friend or taking part in horseback yoga, animal therapy is sure to bring a smile to your face!
