Pet Animal Dementia Essay

In the United States, 5.3 million people are living with Alzheimer’s and nearly 44 million people worldwide have Alzheimer’s or dementia related disease, according to alzheimers.net (2016). As the disease progresses dementia patients become increasingly confused. Many forget who they are including losing most memories they once shared with their loved ones. In addition, as the disease progresses many individuals become depressed, anxious and agitated in dementia patients because of feeling lost and uneasy in their environment. However, they can feel a sense of comfort by having a pet in their presence. Although pets are unable respond they can talk to and pet the animal. This alone can significantly help the dementia patient with their anxiety
and depression and soothe their mind.
Animals

For countless decades, many diverse types of species of animals have been welcomed into our homes, our lives and our hearts. Each have their own different purpose than others. There are those that are used for transportation, medical research testing and of course just as another member of our family. However, a few of our four-legged fur friends are helping us in an even more caring way. Dogs and cats especially have been used for many animal-assisted therapy over the years. Not only by proving their service to our armed forces but also those that are physically and mentally disabled. They have helped their owner’s in numerous ways such as assisting disabled individuals in wheelchairs to open doors and even alert them if a seizure or diabetic episode is about to occur. Furthermore, pets are being recommended to those that are living with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia because unfortunately they too suffer from depression and anxiety daily. To clarify, “Their very presence can help reduce the effects of dementia—anxiety, agitation, irritability, depression, and loneliness. Because of their friendliness and non-threatening way, pets can help a dementia patient be more interactive, when sometimes they are not able to do so in social settings with other adults” (Allen, 2017).
As a matter of fact, it is not only dogs and cats but also birds and fish, just to name a few, have been helping dementia patients that struggle daily with depression and anxiety to help them live a normal life and get the most out of life. People might ask the question, what can animals do for us as humans? The benefits of owning a pet are copious by assisting us in our mental, physical and social well-being. “Researchers have long suggested that pets are good for us, even offering health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and heart rate, reducing the stress hormone cortisol, and boosting levels of the feel-good hormone, serotonin” (Napoletan, 2016). Let’s look at a few types of pets as examples. These fun and caring four-legged pets display a true illustration of what it means to be loyal not to mention they have captured the hearts of humans for years. If you were to walk into a long-term care facility you might find a cat or two gracefully roaming the halls or peacefully
curled up sleeping as the radiance of the warm sun shines through.
Dementia patients feel a sense of calm and safety while these loving animals are in their presence. Therapy pets have demonstrated an increase in calmness, happiness and overall emotional well-being. Studies have shown a decrease in both stress levels and blood pressure of patients during visits by therapy pets. Not only do cats and dogs provide comfort but more importantly they encourage patients living with dementia to stay active and become more social with others. Depending on how far advanced and what stage they are in, caring for these pets offers them something to keep them busy. Of course, very different from a living pet which needs to be fed and cared for, dementia patients also enjoy the toy stuffed animals as well. While working at several nursing home facilities I have ran across many animals that are animal-assisted therapy pets. When selecting a pet for an individual with dementia there a few imperative things to keep in mind and questions to ask beforehand. Is the person able to care for the pet if living partially alone?
This is for those patients who are still able to care for themselves but live with a family member such as their spouse, daughter or son. What size of pet would be best suitable for them? The breeds of dogs that would be beneficial include; Shih-Tzu, Maltese, Pug, etc. The breeds are small and not as much work as a larger dog. Another thing to keep in mind are the needs the dog itself requires that are important to maintain such as the pets grooming, etc. Caring for a cat could possibly be a bit easier but if looking to keep active and get exercise than a dog is probably a better choice. It is crucial to make sure that the pet will not cause any risk to the person with dementia leaving the patient at risk for falls as sometimes our little friends unintentional might get in the way as we walk.