The Benefits of Pet Therapy

Pet therapy is the guided interaction between a trained animal and person, the purpose of this great form of therapy is to not only to make someone smile, but also to help those recover or cope with any health problems.

We were lucky to have Tessa and Cooper invited into our home each week. The two beautiful dogs and their owner Trevor provide pet therapy to all of our residents. This activity is widely popular within Beaumont Manor Care Home. Pet therapy can improve individuals self-esteem, help improve confidence within those who struggle with dementia and it can promote your quality of life, encouraging independence.

If someone with dementia is having trouble communicating with others or having general conversations, looking after a pet may help them to stay involved and engaged. We are always trying different activities to support our residents and we have witnessed an increase within their mental stimulation - a recall of memories with the residents and the pets they used to have.

The simple act of petting animals releases an automatic relaxation response, humans interacting with animals have found that petting the animal promoted the release of Serotonin, Prolactin and Oxytocin - all hormones that play a huge part in elevating moods.

Both residents and staff members always look forward to Tessa and Cooper visiting our home. Everyone loves the interaction with our furry friends and it definitely makes us smile, we all look forward to it every Wednesday morning when they come and visit us.

If you'd like to see more of what we get up to here at Beaumont Manor Care Home, take a look over on our news & events page and don't hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any questions or queries.