The Doggo Series: Fabulous facts on fluffies in aged care
September 1, 2020 | Uncategorised
And we’re back with another bloggo in the doggo series! This time with even more fluffy and fabulous facts on animal therapy in Aged Care.
Did you know…
- 81% of pet owners reported to NEVER feel alone when with their pet.
- Australia has almost as many pets as we do people in our population, with it being estimated that there are 21.9 MILLION pets in Australia.
Statistics by Animal Welfare League of South Australia
According to a study published in the Japanese Psychogeriatric Journal, pet therapy was proven to improve the depressive symptoms in residents who lived in a facility long-term by 50%.
Fluffing awesome! But that’s not all…
More specifically, a number of IRT Aged Care facilities across NSW, SE QLD and the ACT that use animal therapy report on improved mental wellbeing of their residents. The Shoalhaven facility was mentioned to regularly receive visits from a local zoo. The Lifestyle Team Leader from Shoalhaven quoted, “The residents absolutely love it, some residents will cry with joy when the animals come in”.
Robotic pets have also been a part of this recognition, gaining more popularity in recent years. As of late 2019, in aged care facilities across Australia there were 280 robotic seals used to provide animal therapy among residents.
Robotic pets can also “provide physical care and social support. They can provide reminders about appointments, medication and dietary requirements and can alert individuals to the risk of a fall or dehydration. Importantly… they do not judge people”, said Professor Wendy Moyle from Griffith University.
Stay tuned for more coming from our fluffiest series . . . The Doggo Series.
