Pet therapy for Alzheimer’s and Dementia builds on the natural comfort that comes from engaging with animals, taking those benefits even further to help seniors manage stress, encourage movement and promote other aspects of wellness!
Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) “is an alternative or complementary type of therapy that includes the use of animals in a treatment. The goal of this animal-assisted intervention is to improve a patient’s social, emotional, or cognitive functioning.” The utilization of AAT for residents with Alzheimer’s and other dementias not only reduces loneliness and isolation, but pet therapy it can also improve physical activity, memory, mood, communication, and more!
Animal Visitation Therapy is when therapy animals accompany their owners to a facility and visit with memory care residents. The visitation could range from a group of dogs or cats to horses, pigs, or other animals! Here at Heritage, we often have dogs visit our dementia care residents in Wisconsin, but we also ensure to throw events where other animals like horses, cows, chickens, and more can come and interact with the residents, improving their communication, cognition, and overall mood!
Want to know more about our therapy animal visitations? Give us a call, and we’ll be happy to walk you through how we can help your loved one with dementia live their best life!
Pet Therapy, or Animal Ownership Therapy for Dementia, is when memory care residents have a therapy pet, or another type of certified animal, live with them. The most common are therapy dogs or cats, emotional support animals, and service animals, like assistance dogs. While having a specially trained and certified therapy animal can improve the residents’ mood, memory, nutrition, and more, just having a pet can also have some of the same effects. We’re pet friendly here at Heritage, so we welcome all of our residents to bring their pet to live with them!
Want to know more about our pet friendly communities? Give us a call, and we’ll be happy to walk you through how we can help your loved one with dementia live their best life!
While there are many options for this type of therapy, including dolphins and horses, the most common is “canine-assisted therapy,” more commonly known as having a therapy dog. Therapy cats are quite common as well! Dogs, cats, and other animals do have to be observed and their temperament tested so that they can be come “Certified Therapy Animals.” Therapy dogs are trained to be calm and welcoming. They comfort with physical contact and by allowing the dementia residents to interact with them.
At Heritage, animal and pet therapy work in tandem with our other dementia therapies, like art and music therapy, to help our memory care residents in Milwaukee, Madison, and all over Wisconsin stay calm and happy!
If you’re ready to start living your best life, or if you’re looking to get top notch Animal Assisted Therapy at the perfect dementia care community in Wisconsin for a loved one, you’re in the right place! From innovative technology, and experienced staff to effective memory therapies and interactive events, Heritage Senior Living what you need to get the most out of your animal therapy and memory care! We also offer state of the art design, engaging social events, professional culinary services, and many types of therapy services to all of our residents! Start living your best life at one of our senior living communities in Wisconsin today! And don’t forget we’re pet friendly!
