Anyone with experience with animal-assisted therapy?

[ofeliadavidsson]

Hi!

I am an occupational therapist, currently studying for my master of science degree in London. I have previously worked in community rehab with older adults with dementia in Sweden. I am planning on writing about animal-assisted therapy as an intervention for older adults with dementia for my dissertation. I am therefore interested if anyone here has had any experience with animal-assisted therapy, or especially dog therapy in your daily work? If so, how did the animal affect the person with dementia? Did the therapy have an impact on the person?

Thank you

Kind regards
Ofelia, Occupational Therapist

 

[CeliaW]

Ofelia, hopefully you know about http://www.dementiadog.org/ ?

 

[campbell77]

dog therapy

Hi!

I am an occupational therapist, currently studying for my master of science degree in London. I have previously worked in community rehab with older adults with dementia in Sweden. I am planning on writing about animal-assisted therapy as an intervention for older adults with dementia for my dissertation. I am therefore interested if anyone here has had any experience with animal-assisted therapy, or especially dog therapy in your daily work? If so, how did the animal affect the person with dementia? Did the therapy have an impact on the person?

Thank you

Kind regards
Ofelia, Occupational Therapist

i am a carer as a hca and for my mother who has dementia. a year ago i started taking my 3 1/2 yr old lhasa apso into wrk 1 day a week.what a revelation.i am able to get responses from residents that otherwise dont communicate well on any level and most of my patients seem more relaxed, happy ,and communicate more.Be it eye contact a few words or body lanugage.It gives me great pleasure to see the response. I decided to get my dog as a puppy when my mother was 90 to help make her feel safe when i am away at work it worked wonderfully.SHE HAS SOMETHING TO FOCUS ON INSTEAD OF HER DISEASE.He rewards her with unconditional love and support and he makes her laugh.It also gives her orientation and a sense of purpose.

 

[cragmaid]

I used to take my dog into the CH where Mum lived....as did others, then they got a resident guide dog. They hatched chickens to nurture, there were rabbits in the garden and they even had a patHORSE ( well pony) once. Some residents engaged and others ignored!

 

[Zana]

I can only relate the expierences I have personally. My OH responds with much more emotion to our pets ( one parrot and one dog ) than he does with any human.
He is caring and loving to them but generally cold and sometimes very rude to humans.

My MIL would forget if she had eaten and seemed to have no concept of time but when I stayed with her for 6 weeks and took my 3 dogs with me she responded to the dogs, she let them into the garden if they stood at the back door she constantly refreshed their water and would check the clock to see if it was thier dinner time.
She seemed genuinely more relaxed and happy while stroking and talking to my beagle who would sit with her for hours at a time. She also had better fuller converstations with him than she did any human at that time!

 

[BR_ANA]

On early stages I give a dog to my mum. She loved it as a daughter(or more than).

When she went CH, dog almost not visiting (because I didn't want her distress by dog leaving and she staying)

Some visits, I noticed other residents reacting to dog. Some screaming in fear, others wanting to pet it.

As dog was hers, I wasn't afraid of bites, however dog stand some shakes, ears being pulled.

 

[Flakey]

Are we too late?

hi Ofelia,

We would very much like to help you in your research. My wife and I deliver Therapuetic Dog Activity sessions in care homes, many of whom have residents living with dementia. It is our full time job. Last year we delivered 460 sessions with our 5 or 6 dogs. We think our work would add a lot to a project like yours and I'm sure we'd learn a lot too.

All the very best.

Hi!

I am an occupational therapist, currently studying for my master of science degree in London. I have previously worked in community rehab with older adults with dementia in Sweden. I am planning on writing about animal-assisted therapy as an intervention for older adults with dementia for my dissertation. I am therefore interested if anyone here has had any experience with animal-assisted therapy, or especially dog therapy in your daily work? If so, how did the animal affect the person with dementia? Did the therapy have an impact on the person?

Thank you

Kind regards
Ofelia, Occupational Therapist

 

[Julia B]

hello

we have a dog, a dappy bouncy 2 year old Labrador, who is so so gentle with my mum in law, sits next to her whilst she talks all manner of tales ( should that be tails lol) to her...loves the dog, and even our evil cat who "talks" back to her, and is very concerned that we feed them etc.....apart from not liking the golden fur on her trousers I know she loves Ellie, even when she wonders whose dog it is...Nor is quite confused all the time but she really loves petting Ellie, and laughs when she snores, hope that helps

 

[cobden28]

we have a dog, a dappy bouncy 2 year old Labrador, who is so so gentle with my mum in law, sits next to her whilst she talks all manner of tales ( should that be tails lol) to her...loves the dog, and even our evil cat who "talks" back to her, and is very concerned that we feed them etc.....apart from not liking the golden fur on her trousers I know she loves Ellie, even when she wonders whose dog it is...Nor is quite confused all the time but she really loves petting Ellie, and laughs when she snores, hope that helps

I'm a volunteer helper at a local Stroke Club - and a stroke survivor myself - we have had a couple of visits from a PAT dog from the Pets as Therapy organisation and it really did make a difference to our members, some of who have dementia. They all became much more animated and lively when there was a visiting dog.

I have also taken my own two small dogs in to the stroke club meetings (not both dogs together, one at a time ! ) and it really is amazing to see how much more lively and communicative the members became when there was a small fluffy cuddly dog present.