Hospice Pet Therapy in Portland, OR
Friendly Animals Doing What People Cannot
Movies and television shows have demonstrated in an entertaining fashion how animals help humans daily with love and devotion. Many facilities understand this trait in pets and have pet visitations in hospitals, nursing centers, and many other places. These animals are specially trained to offer love and friendship to those who may benefit, including children, disaster victims, and the elderly. You can find hospice pet volunteers spending time in assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and private homes, making people less lonely and giving them a distraction from their illnesses. Agape Hospice NW understands the value of these four-legged companions and how they’ve received more attention and acceptance because of their immeasurable benefits to many people. We provide hospice pet therapy in Portland, OR to help hospice patients be happier and forget about their stress and solitude.
The Ancient Relationship Between Animals & People
Recorded human history reveals a vital relationship between humans and pets. You can discover cats are a frequent part of ancient Egyptian art, and Homer’s The Odyssey depicts the hero’s dog Argos waiting loyally for his return home. Today, people’s relationships with pets continue as a family’s dog greets them at the front door with their tail wagging. Pets tell us we’re necessary, loved, and good people to them. Cats will snuggle up to their human partners and demand attention, urging them to acknowledge them and providing valuable company. The natural white noise of a sleeping animal’s rhythmic sighs can make a space calmer. People tend to feel more relaxed, comfortable, safer, wanted, and at home with dogs, cats, and other animals as companions. Agape Hospice NW proudly incorporates pet therapy into our collection of care services.
Benefits of Pet Visits for Senior Citizens
Agape Hospice NW gladly provides pet hospice services for a better quality of life and happiness. Patients can sometimes feel alone and worried about their daily lives, present medical conditions, and foreseeable futures. Receiving love and attention during a hospice pet visitation can mean the world to a person dealing with a severe health condition. Loneliness and anxiety are all too common among hospice patients. Agape Hospice NW can provide pet visitations in private homes, retirement homes, and other destinations, carefully following rules and guidelines like a hospital pet visitation policy. Pet therapy offers many benefits, such as the following:
- A calm animal can make a person feel calm, reducing the cortisol levels a body produces when responding to stress. Pet therapy’s calming effect can also increase a person’s serotonin levels, making them happier, calmer, and more focused.
- Seniors can experience a lack of mental stimulation and lose mental sharpness, but pet therapy stimulates people mentally and leads to better memory stimulation as a senior compares a therapy animal to a pet in their past. Furthermore, seniors naturally speak to animals during visits, helping people sharpen their conversation skills.
- Having an animal visit can increase a senior’s social interaction. A therapy pet’s handler also becomes someone with whom a senior can converse.
Consider Pet Therapy for Your Hospice Care Plan
Many people know about senior care facilities welcoming therapy animals to spend time with their occupants. While a service animal receives training to assist people with certain tasks, service providers select a therapy animal for its calm temperament and outstanding obedience. Often, these animals already have previous exposure to the equipment and situations commonly found in senior care facilities to avoid surprised or skittish behavior. Like those visiting senior care facilities, handlers can bring therapy animals to private homes for one-on-one visits. The unconditional love and comfort the elderly receive from pets can drastically lift their spirits, even causing depression to decline in seniors with dementia while interacting with therapy animals.
In-Home Pet Visitation Services With Agape Hospice NW
You commonly find therapy animals and their handlers volunteering at senior facilities, but you can also take advantage of in-home pet visits through Agape Hospice NW. Seniors can enjoy all the benefits of these therapy animals after they or their loved ones research companies offering this service with details fitting your specific needs, including the animals and handlers’ certification standards. Our team can help you schedule pet therapy at your private home. Contact us today to learn where and how we can apply this essential therapeutic service.