Pet Therapy for Older Adults: A 101
Pet therapy, also known as animal therapy, is a burgeoning therapeutic approach involving patient interaction with gentle animals, benefiting various health and mental states, especially in older adults. While dogs are common, other animals also significantly impact users across care homes, senior communities, and clinics. Benefits include reduced loneliness and anxiety, improved mood and motor skills, and support during cancer treatment, surgery recovery, PTSD, strokes, chronic heart conditions, and mental health disorders like MDD.
