I take care of my Grandmother (90) with Alzheimer’s Disease...I think in stage 6 to 7. We have lots of pets and they all help to keep Grandma entertained. She enjoys watching them play and how they sleep sometimes. I thought Id send this picture of our cat Stella..she is sitting on Grandma's walker and she loves to go for rides on it.
When Grandma gets up to walk if Stella notices her she will jump on the walker and go with her.. :) The dog in the picture is our Gidget…she is half rat terrier and half pug.
When my parents first moved in with me I was a bit nervous of having seven doggies and mom with alzheimers. But all of the dogs just love my mom and she loves them. She has a special place for my Long-haired chi, Timmy. He settles her down and she can sit for hours and pet him. He looks at me like he is saying, Look mom! I'm taking care of her for you. Timmy is my little angel.
This is our precious Princess (bichon frise) who gave us seven lovely years before she went to Doggy Heaven. She took me for walks daily, and here you see her enjoying her ride in her trailer behind our tandem bike. She was indeed one of those extra special gems that we're given now and then to help us on our journey through life.
Max is a 9 yr.old Samoyed with quite a medical history of his own. I am submitting his picture because he worked as a therapy pet for a few years before we had to cut his career short because he tore the ligaments in his knees requiring surgeries. Max used to visit a nursing home with his sister, Trouble, and also an adult day care facility. Max and Trouble "sing" when my son plays the flute, so they provided a very humorous and entertaining visit for the residents. Although Max is retired, he can still visit my mom, who has Alzheimer's, at the window. During the warmer months, he can visit her when we bring her out on the porch to sit. My mom LOVES Max and Trouble and they bring her so much joy. Although she does not know me or remember much, she still asks about "my doggies" every day when I visit her. I find that those who have difficulty communicating seem to really bond with animals because of the absolute unconditional love and attention that a dog can give that person. The touch of a warm, fuzzy head and the adoration in the loving eyes of a pet can make the dreariest day brighter.
I can truly say that Max has blessed my mom more than many visits by humans. I encourage ANYONE with a well behaved pup to consider visiting with an elderly person, whether in their home or in a facility.....the love of a pet can speak volumes that a human could never convey.