How Can Fido Help Someone Living with Dementia?

It turns out, Fido, Fluffy or Buster really may be a man's best friend, especially if that man (or woman) has Alzheimer's disease or another dementia.

Many research studies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions for people with dementia. One type of interaction that consistently demonstrates several benefits is pet therapy.

Multiple studies have shown that pet therapy (also called animal-assisted therapy) can improve moods, promote a calm environment, decrease challenging behaviors, and even improve eating. The studies included pet therapy conducted with dogs, cats, birds and even fish.

Full disclosure: I'm not a huge lover of animals as pets, although some are pretty amazing. What I do love, however, is seeing someone with dementia have his interest piqued, his day brightened and his quality of life improved, all because he had the chance to watch or interact with an animal.

For more about the specific benefits of pet therapy and the studies referenced above, please see the full article: Does Pet Therapy Benefit People with Dementia? How Can Fido Help Someone Living with Dementia? originally appeared on About.com Alzheimers Disease on Sunday, June 30th, 2013 at 23:23:13.Permalink | Comment | Email this

Source: About Alzheimers Disease - June 30, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news