Seniors Benefit from Dog Therapy In many Ways

A friendly Golden Retriever entertains a senior resident at The Palace Royale at Kendall, Miami, Fla. Dog Therapy Day is set for July 18 at The Palace Royale.
A friendly Golden Retriever entertains a senior resident at The Palace Royale at Kendall, Miami, Fla. Dog Therapy Day is set for July 18 at The Palace Royale.
A friendly Golden Retriever entertains a senior resident at The Palace Royale at Kendall, Miami, Fla. Dog Therapy Day is set for July 18 at The Palace Royale.

Gene Grizzle of Therapy Dogs Inc. will be bringing an array of canines big and small (from 5 – 150 pounds!) and their owners to visit with residents at the Palace at Kendall in Miami on Saturday, July 18 at 1:00 PM.

Dogs of almost all shapes, sizes, colors and breeds  –  including standard poodles, Rhodesian ridgebacks, pit bulls, pit bull-mastiffs, greyhounds, Labradoodles, and Chihuahuas, among others –  will be on hand to show their love to the senior residents at The Palace Royale, the assisted living community at The Palace Kendall campus (www.thepalace.org).

According to Gene, “The warmth, companionship, love and entertainment that dogs provide can make all the difference in the life of an older person.  And, research into the health benefits of interacting with dogs and other pets is now well established.  All the important health and psychological reasons for being with a dog are especially critical as we age.

Benefits of Dog Therapy For Seniors

Physical Health:

  • lowers blood pressure
  • improves cardiovascular health
  • releases endorphins  that have a calming effect
  • diminishes overall physical pain
  • the act of petting produces an automatic relaxation response, reducing the amount of

medication some folks need

 Mental Health:

  • lifts spirits and lessens depression
  • decreases feelings of isolation and alienation
  • encourages communication
  • provides comfort
  • increases socialization
  • reduces boredom
  • lowers anxiety
  • creates motivation for the client to recover faster
  • reduces loneliness

In Physical Therapy

  • increases joint movement and improves recovery time
  • maintains or increases motor skills
  • Provides motivation to move more, stretch farther, exercise longer

 “We are so delighted to welcome Gene and all his dogs to The Palace at Kendall. We know that both dogs big and small can have a wonderfully positive impact on the health of seniors, both emotionally and physically. For seniors especially, interaction with dogs has been known to lift the self esteem and increase mental alertness in people with Alzheimer’s disease, and survival rates increase after a heart attack as well. When seniors have to care for a pet, they tend to take care of themselves better, too,” says Adam Rosenblum, Vice President of The Palace Kendall.

 


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