From: hounddog23x@gmail.com   
      
   Pets Who Help People With Dementia and Alzheimer's   
   Vetstreet.com   
   Jan 13, 20155:01am7 comments   
      
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   When John brought Fluffy, a German Shepard trained as a service dog, home to   
   his wife, Jo Lynne, who was suffering from a form of dementia similar to   
   Alzheimer's disease, he noticed positive changes in his wife's behavior and   
   well-being almost right away.   
    "Fluffy gave my wife something to do that was her responsibility," John says.   
   "Taking care of Fluffy gave her control and gave her something else to focus   
   on and be responsible for."   
      
   Though there was always someone else around to help, Jo Lynne made sure Fluffy   
   was fed, had water and went outside. The dog, who went everywhere with Jo   
   Lynne, who has since died, did so much more, though, John says. "Fluffy   
   relaxed Jo Lynne and the    
   people around her, and made it a lot easier for her to communicate with   
   others."   
      
   Related Story: Meet a New Breed of Service Dog   
      
   Though there is much research to be done to fully establish how animals can   
   help people with dementia, it seems that dogs, cats, horses and even fish can   
   possibly offer benefits. Because there can be risks to consider when mixing   
   pets with people    
   suffering conditions such as Alzheimer's, having the temperament of both the   
   patient and the animal assessed by qualified professionals will help keep   
   everyone safe.   
      
   Dogs Offer Support   
      
   "Service dogs are mentally and emotionally bonded to their handlers," says Bob   
   Taylor, president of Dog Wish, an organization that places psychiatric service   
   dogs like Fluffy with people suffering from dementia, autism and other   
   neurological conditions. "   
   Through this bonding, the dog becomes a dynamic care partner."   
      
   Training service dogs for people with dementia is a relatively new trend, but   
   it's a global one. In Scotland, the organization Dementia Dog, a recently   
   formed partnership between Alzheimer Scotland, The Glasgow School of Art, Dogs   
   for the Disabled and    
   Guide Dogs UK, has paired two trained assistance dogs, Kaspa and Oscar, with   
   people in the early stages of dementia.   
      
   The dogs live in the patients' homes and play many roles: They help keep their   
   handlers active and social, and the pups also help them stick to a daily   
   routine. For example, Oscar fetches a medicine bag twice a day to remind his   
   handler to take    
   medications. And according to one of Kaspa's handlers, "He has given us our   
   life back. He greets Ken in the morning, so Ken's day begins in a happy way. I   
   have noticed if Ken is agitated or unsettled, Kaspa gives him a nudge so Ken   
   talks to the dog or    
   goes out into the back garden and forgets what had bothered him."   
      
   The pilot project was a success right off the bat, with caregivers of the   
   dementia sufferers noticing almost immediate improvement in everything from   
   conversation skills to medication compliance and agitation.   
      
   But it's not just trained service dogs who help. Spending time with pet dogs   
   has been shown to help people with dementia by stimulating memories, lessening   
   confusion and loneliness, and increasing socialization, among other things.   
      
   Horses Can Help Calm. Cats May Foster Communication   
      
   In a recent study from The Ohio State University, when people with Alzheimer's   
   disease visited a farm, where, under supervision, they walked, groomed, bathed   
   and fed horses, their behavior improved and they were more physically active   
   than usual. Why? "   
   It is most likely a combination of the horses and their quiet, calm,   
   nonjudgmental behavior; the smells of the country; and the unhurried, relaxed   
   quietness of the farm environment," explains study co-author Gwendolen Lorch,   
   DVM, Ph.D., who adds that for    
   80 percent of subjects, spending time on the farm triggered fond memories of   
   their childhoods.   
      
   The bottom line, Lorch says: "Animals and allowing the affected individual to   
   be placed in environments where they had pleasant memories can provide   
   relaxation and moments of happiness for the person that can then affect their   
   attitudes and behavior for    
   the duration of the day."   
      
   Cats can also do their part. In a study of women with dementia living in a   
   nursing home, those who spent 10 minutes with cats had an increase in   
   meaningful communication both while they were with the animals and immediately   
   afterward.   
      
   Fish May Help Reduce Aggression   
      
   When it comes to the healing power of pets, we tend to think of cuddly dogs   
   and furry cats, but even animals we don't touch can deliver psychological and   
   physiological benefits. Case in point: When researchers at Purdue University   
   placed fish tanks in    
   the Alzheimer's unit in three nursing homes, patients who spent time near the   
   tanks, which were filled with colorful fish, were more relaxed and alert and   
   were less likely to yell, wander off or be aggressive. What's more, they ate   
   up to 21 percent more    
   food than before (that's a good thing, since many people with Alzheimer's   
   disease don't eat well). The researchers theorize that the movement and color   
   of the fish and the sounds of the tank stimulated patients, keeping their   
   interest.   
      
   By Patricia Curtis   
      
      
      
   http://os.care2.com/all/pets-who-help-people-with-dementia-and-alzheimers#1   
      
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