“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints on your heart.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt
Whether or not you are a professed pet lover, everyone has had an experience with an animal that has touched them. Animals have a way of making their way into our hearts and leaving paw prints in their wake. I am a dog person and nobody can brighten my day like my little black pug, Bentley! His funny faces make me laugh; he loves to cuddle and loves to be loved. Bentley goes where I go and I could not picture my life without him. My roommates are cat people, but when they moved out their cats stayed with their families. They love Bentley and visit their feline friends often, but it is clear that there is a void only a kitty companion can fill.
It is precisely this type of connection that has led to the advancement of Animal Assisted, or “Pet” Therapy. The earliest recorded use of Pet Therapy was in Bethlem Hospital in England, in the late 18th century. Since then Pet Therapy had been used in various hospitals and health care settings and even prisons! Animals have proven effectiveness on stress relief. They can also be great motivators and help with socialization and cognitive and emotional functioning.
We, at Regency Grand, are HUGE pet lovers! If you’ve ever popped into our main office, you may have seen our cat, Ally. Though still a little shy, she is getting more adventurous! Ally was given to us by one of our families, but prior to her we took a chance on a rescue kitty named Hazel. We saw an instant change in our residents and staff-we were hooked!
Besides Ally, our memory care community, Kingswood Court, offers a Pet Therapy program. Pet care and play is worked into the daily activities so that our residents are able to build and maintain bonds with our pets. Hoover is our loyal beagle and Regent is our tabby cat. He always seems to know which lap to jump into! We also have two bunnies, Scamper and Thumper, as well as fish and a couple of parakeets. Our residents light up whenever they come around and our furry friends bring a level of joy into our community that we could not find anywhere else!
