Pet Therapy for Nursing Home Residents

I just put my dog down this weekend. It was so painful. He was a loyal friend and companion. Many staff, residents and family members would tell me how unique Toebe was. He was very gentle mannered and quiet. Never jumped or barked. He seemed to sense when a resident was upset or sick. He would walk up to them in the chair and put his head on their lap and just stay there. Or he would get up on the bed, (when given permission of course) and lay next to a sick resident who was unable to get out of bed.
Oh, I wish you could see the smiles on faces in the nursing homes I worked at. Residents that never spoke to staff or family would suddenly brighten up when I brought Toebe into their rooms. One woman despised people; she would ignor staff or yell at them; sometimes even swing at them when she didn't want to be bothered. But when I would bring Toebe next to her she would reach out and start petting him. And so gently too.
Yes, I miss him terribly; but sometimes loving is letting go. He will be remembered for a long time by staff and myself. Pet therapy is the greatest therapy you can give. The residents will respond to dogs, cats, and even a guinea pig!

I am reminded of a guinea pig I bought for another nursing home. I worked at. When I first brought her around I was nervous. I was afraid the elders would scream thinking she was a rat. But to my amusement and surprise, they took to her like a baby. They loved having something so small that needed them to care for her. We held a vote and the majority ruled to call her Coco. They loved watching her for hours as she played in her cage.
One lady who would never come out of her room, would sneak out at night and feed her. That wasn't so good for the guinea pig, but it brought meaning to this lady's life. Staff witnessed her coming out of her room late at night to talk to Coco.

Yes, pets bring joy and a sense of purpose to some elders in Nurisng Homes. Some now have dogs and cats living in their facility full time. The residents are responsible for meeting the animals daily needs. Of course the staff supervises and keeps an eye on the animal to be sure it is being well cared for.

So, if you have an animal that you believe would be good to visit a Long Term Care facility, simply call and ask for the Activity Director. Then tell her what type of pet you have and she will give you the guidelines. We had a rooster on a leash, a lama, even a pony come visit one of the places I worked at as an Activity Director. We even had a police dog come in and they gave us a demonstration of how the dog works for the department. I will never forget it; they gave me the sleeve and let the dog attack me! The residents talked about that for months!