Why is animal therapy in care homes so popular?
Damon Culbert from Wild Science, provider of animal therapy in care homes across the UK, talks about the difference between short visits from animals and dedicated Animal Assisted Therapy. Animals in care homes are a growing phenomenon attempting to improve the wellbeing of the elderly in long-term care. Many residential care providers have sung the praises of therapy dogs, cats, horses and even lizards in their ability to animate residents and stimulate social interaction. But what are the recorded benefits of animal therapy and should every care home invite animals in? Not every encounter that seniors have with animals will qualify as animal therapy. Animal Assisted Therapy is defined as targeted therapy interventions which make use of an animal to achieve set goals. Examples in care homes might include having a resident walk a dog regularly in order to improve or maintain mobility functions long-term or games between animals and residents to encourage social interaction between residents experiencing heightened feelings of loneliness. Animal Assisted Activities, on the other hand, are less focused interactions with animals used to entertain, educate and engage. These can include one-off visits from exotic animals where residents are encouraged to hold, play with and stroke different kinds of animals. Live-in care home animals may also provide many of the benefits which can be achieved during animal therapy but might not fit the definition of therapy as activities are not so structured. This article on animal therapy in care homes will look at the ways care home residents can benefit from the company of animals in both AAT and AAA. Improved motor skills Animal interaction can be hugely beneficial for the physical wellbeing of residents of all abilities, whether that is through stroking, brushing, walking or playing. Many non-mobile residents enjoy the presence of animals and look forward to their visits. Allowing animals like dogs, cats and horses to be stroked and brushed by residents of limited mobility provides vital tactile stimulation. This stimulation is not only beneficial for the maintenance of fine motor skills but also provides other health benefits. Stroking animals increases levels of ‘happiness’ hormone oxytocin and reduces levels of stress hormone cortisol, helping reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and fear which can be common in care home residents. Residents who are more mobile may also experience physical benefits from interaction with animals. Walking dogs regularly is a great way of improving or maintaining motor functions long-term, helping residents maintain independence for longer. Regular exercise is vital for the elderly, especially those in long-term care and research shows that dog walking helps reduce blood pressure, can be beneficial for recovery after major events like strokes and helps maintain general heart health. Increased social interaction For many residents, having to leave their own homes and support networks can be a very isolating experience and many can find it difficult to build new relationships. This is a particular problem for those with conditions like dementia. One of the main benefits of regular animal interaction for came home residents is the animals’ ability to stimulate social interaction. Animal therapy practitioners notice that residents are far more likely to interact with them and the other residents in the presence of animals. Animals often trigger memories of other animals such as past pets which allows residents to enjoy memories of their past while sharing them as part of a group. Additionally, taking on the responsibility of care is beneficial for the elderly as they form routines that not only structure their day but encourage them to interact with staff and other residents to complete tasks based around the animals. This could include walking dogs, feeding pets and, in some care homes, means collecting chicken eggs. This study identified touch as a significant and undervalued part of social interaction which is beneficial to elderly residents struggling to involve themselves socially. Residents who interacted with animals were much more likely to touch the animals but also to interact with their peers in the same way. The importance of touch in social interaction is similar to its importance in physical development and can help reduce feelings of isolation. Reduced loneliness and depression Having resident pets in care homes or organising regular visits from the same animals can help the elderly form attachments which in turn can reduce feelings of loneliness. Animal therapy programs can also use the structure of forming bonds with animals to then encourage residents to form closer bonds together, further improving social interaction and residents’ mental wellbeing. The hormonal response to pets is also one of animal therapy’s greatest attractions. Animal therapist Cynthia Chandler believes that oxytocin is one of the most powerful social hormones we produce and the ability of animals to naturally promote its production is why animal therapy is becoming ever more popular. Things to consider While animal activity and animal therapy in care homes can provide fantastic benefits for those in long-term residential care, it’s important to note that their benefit won’t be felt by everyone. Some things to consider before introducing animal therapy in care homes include residents who don’t like or are afraid of animals and those who suffer from allergies. Rather than keep a dog or cat at the care home at all times, it might be more successful to bring the animal in regularly for short period to interact with small groups so that nobody is subjected to an experience they don’t want. Animal therapy in care homes is causing a huge stir and, due to its ability to bring enrichment and positivity to residents’ lives, it’s likely to stay. However, introducing animals to the elderly must be done with careful consideration for every resident’s wellbeing. For more information on animal therapy in care homes, see wildsci.co.uk
Four Seasons collapse: What will happen to 17,000 care home residents?
The care home operator Four Seasons has gone into administration, leaving 17,000 residents and 20,000 staff under a cloud of uncertainty. The appointment of administrators by two of Four Seasons’ holding companies marks the biggest care home business collapse since 2011, when Southern Cross suffered the same fate. Cracks first showed at Four Seasons in 2015, when the company sold off property in a bid to avoid further financial difficulty. In 2016, credit rating agency Moody’s predicted the company would suffer from the National Living Wage introduction coupled with fall in funding from local authorities. Simon Bottery, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund, said: “Today’s announcement will be worrying for the 17,000 Four Seasons residents and their families, though it is important to recognise there is no immediate threat to the operation of Four Seasons’ care homes. “The problems facing Four Seasons show the extreme pressure that the social care system in England is under. Despite recent moves to shore up social care providers, years of chronic underfunding have left services at crisis point. As the Competition and Markets Authority has identified, many care homes that rely on publicly-funded residents are now financially unsustainable. “It is not just care homes but the whole social care system which desperately needs reform. Successive administrations have promised to overhaul the system, yet two years after the government committed to publishing a social care green paper, it is yet to see the light of day.” What will happen to the residents? No plans have been made to move residents. The group’s medical director Dr Claire Royston commented: “Today’s news does not change the way we operate or how our homes are run or prompt any change for residents, families, employees and indeed suppliers. “It marks the latest stage in the group’s restructuring process and allows us to move ahead with an orderly, independent sales process.”
Care home staff say residents have dementia dolls
52% of care home staff say their residents have dementia dolls, according to a new survey by the leading care home reviews site, carehome.co.uk. The poll of 2,491 care home owners, managers and staff, also found 72% think there are benefits to people with dementia using the dolls. Nearly three quarters of care staff view the dolls in a positive light, but doll therapy has left some respondents sitting on the fence, with 23% ‘unsure’ whether they provide a benefit, while 5% say they do not. Robotic therapy pets, which respond to touch and sound and provide stimulation and companionship, are also growing in popularity in care homes, with one in 10 care home staff (11%), saying their care homes have them. Robotic therapy pets mimic real animals and include life-like dogs which bark and furry cats which miaow and purr. Doll therapy and robotic pet therapy are becoming more recognised as a way of calming and comforting people with dementia, although doll therapy in particular can be controversial as it can be challenging for relatives to see their family member cradling a doll and there have been suggestions it infantilises people with dementia. Experts in the field have a number of tips for those considering the therapy. These include introducing the doll gradually, using the doll at appropriate times and ensuring people do not neglect their own needs in favour of the dolls. Sue Learner, editor of carehome.co.uk, the leading reviews site for care homes, said: “To see your mum or grandma cuddling a doll and caring for it like a real baby can be very disturbing. But if the residents are getting comfort from this, it is good so many care homes are embracing this controversial therapy. “People with dementia can be anxious and distressed and doll therapy has been found to be very calming. However to allay relatives’ concerns, it is important care homes fully explain what doll therapy is and how it can help. Caring for a doll or a robotic dog or cat may make those with dementia feel needed and wanted and it may remind them of a time when they were a parent of a young child. “There are cases where the person with dementia will forego food so they can feed their baby or sleep on the floor so the baby can have the bed. So the way they relate to the doll or robotic pet does need to be closely monitored.” Lynne Loughlin, senior activities coordinator at Barchester Iddenshall Hall and Beeston View Dementia Unit in Tarporley, uses therapy dolls for its residents with dementia. She said: “We have found they work really well. We don’t give them directly to the residents. We wait for the residents to approach the dolls themselves. “They tend to think they are real and enjoy cuddling them and taking care of them. They like sitting with the dolls and talking to them. It offers them comfort and seems to give the residents a sense of calm. “We have explained to the residents’ relatives and friends about the dolls and how they can bring about a real sense of wellbeing for their loved ones with dementia. They have had no objections as they can see they work and the residents enjoy having them.” Dr Gary Mitchell, who wrote ‘Doll Therapy in Dementia Care’ and teaches nursing at Queen’s University in Belfast, said: “The research has consistently demonstrated that doll therapy can have a life-changing impact for some people living with dementia by increasing levels of wellbeing and reducing need for behaviour modifying medication. “So it is excellent to see a high percentage of care homes utilising the therapy in their practice. It is also encouraging to that care homes are also utilising robotic therapy pets – this intervention builds on the same principles of attachment for which doll therapy works so well. “While these interventions are very positive and the care homes who have introduced these innovative practices should be commended, I would always caution that provision of doll therapy or robotic pet therapy should never be a substitution for human contact. Instead the interventions should be incorporated into an already socially enriched day at the care home for the person living with dementia.” Full data Do residents in your care home have dementia dolls? 52% of respondents say that residents do have dementia dolls 36% say that they do not have dolls 12% are unsure whether residents have dolls Do you think dementia dolls are beneficial for people with dementia? 72% of respondents say that they are beneficial 5% say they are not 23% say that they are unsure whether they are beneficial. Do residents in your care home have robotic therapy pets? 11% of respondents say that residents do have robotic therapy pets 78% say they do not have robotic therapy pets 11% are unsure
Zipping across the Tyne for charity and residents
DAREDEVIL care home staff flew across the Tyne on a zipwire to raise funds for residents and charity. Over £1,000 was raised by staff from The Oaks Care Home, in Blyth, Northumberland, after they launched themselves off the Tyne Bridge. The home’s carers and support staff jumped from the bridge’s balustrades before zipping across the river on a cold autumn day. The team included care assistants Samantha Porter and Linda Palmer, senior carer Sarah Geggie, care assistant Jessica Maxwell, maintenance man Chris Sogorski, senior carer Paige Gallagher, activities coordinator Natalie Brimelow, and care assistant Sarah Ferrow. The money raised has been split between the home’s residents’ fund and the Stroke Association – the home’s chosen charity for 2018. They added another £150 to their £542 total for the charity so far this year – taking it to £692. The remaining funds from the zipwire challenge will help pay for activities and events for the residents over the festive period. Sheila Keegan, wife of resident Brian Keegan, supported the team on the day with sweets and coffee. Sheila, who donated £10 for each team member, said: “It was just fantastic to support the team. I wanted to reward each of them for their courage and dedication.” Sam Porter, care assistant at The Oaks Care Home, came up with the idea and encouraged other staff members to take part. She said: “I wanted to do something wacky and different. Ziplining across the Tyne ticked all the boxes.” Home manager Ann Mielnik treated staff to a restorative tipple at a nearby hotel after their cold ziplining experience. She said: “Many staff members wanted to take part, so we had to do it as a first come, first served basis, as we still needed staff on duty. “I’m so proud of everyone that took part, as it took real guts to jump off the edge of the bridge.”
