5 Fascinating Benefits of Animal Therapy for Dementia

It’s Dementia Action Week, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Our rangers often visit care homes and care settings (accompanied by their animal team), so this is an important topic for us to shed some light on! All rangers are also ‘Dementia Friends’ and trained on how to communicate and help in the best way they can.

What is Dementia and Alzheimer’s?

Dementia is a general term for losing memory and other cognitive abilities. Alzheimer’s is a specific brain disease that is the most common form of dementia.

Most people will know someone in their lives who has been affected, and as you can imagine, it is challenging; the symptoms massively interfere with daily life.

How can animal therapy play its part?

1. Animal therapy can help improve the sense of well-being and quality of life. 

Regular animal therapy sessions have been shown to delay the progression of symptoms in people living with dementia, including agitation, aggression and depression. Levels of stress and anxiety are also vastly reduced in those who spend regular time with pets and other animals, as well as an improvement in a person’s confidence and self-esteem.

2. It can strengthen social bonds and encourage socialisation.

Meaningful activities that promote engagement are important for people, especially those with dementia; animal therapy has been proven to be particularly beneficial. Spending time with animals is a fun activity that can be done as part of a social group, stimulating conversation and interaction to promote a home-like unit atmosphere. Visits from animals can be an exciting part of a person’s day and provide something to look forward to.

3. Spending time with animals can improve brain function

 Animal therapy can help to improve short-term memory, trigger long-term memory and enhance communication skills, even in those with dementia. Some care homes have found that visits from animals make their residents more alert and engaged with the world around them.

4. Animal therapy is a calming activity that reduces dangerous situations

Spending time around animals is proven to significantly reduce blood pressure and have a calming effect on people. Those living with dementia - due to heightened levels of confusion, depression, and anxiety - can get themselves into dangerous situations, but this is reduced if they feel calm and relaxed.

5. Animals improve people’s nutrition and mobility

When we feel calm and our emotional needs have been met, we feel more equipped to handle day-to-day tasks, like eating, drinking enough water, and exercising. This is particularly difficult for people with dementia, who often feel agitated or depressed. With regular animal therapy sessions, you can ensure that their mental well-being is taken care of.

Want to find out more about ZooLab’s Animal Therapy sessions? Get in touch!