Pet Therapy and Zinnia TV

By Catherine Bryson

In this post I will tackle two different methods for decreasing agitation and inducing a feeling of calm in individuals with dementia. Specifically, dog therapy and TV programming especially directed for those with dementia. At the end of this post, you will find all the links you need to obtain more information, so that you can choose wisely if this is a good fit for your loved one with dementia. Note that regarding pet therapy, it is effective for all older adults, not just those living with dementia.

1. Pet Therapy

Recently I read an article online about the use of dog therapy in calming those with anxiety. Although the article did not target older adults, the information applies equally to them. In addition, I will be citing quotes from one book that really does talk about pet therapy for individuals with dementia.

The article (full access below) reviews a recent research study of 73 dog owners. The result? ‘People who interacted with their dog felt less anxiety and experienced more positive feelings. Further:

‘If you feel stressed, spending time with your dog can be an intentional way to comfort yourself, to make yourself feel a little lighter, a little bit less anxious. Sounds pretty PAWZITIVE, doesn’t it?

In the library I picked up the book: ‘Let Dogs Be Dogs’ by The Monks of New Skete and Marc Goldberg. The authors say:

…‘many breeds and mixes have an innate ability to soothe people in physical or mental distress. Dogs can be medicine for the body and soul. One only needs to look at the transforming effect a therapy dog can have. Such dogs can truly work miracles.’

Later on in the book, Brother Christopher, a monk at New Skete who works with their dogs, describes the time he took his dog Zoe to visit the Alzheimer’s unit in a care home near the monastery (where his mother was a patient.) He shares about how much the faces of the Alzheimer’s patients ‘lit up’ because of the dogs’ innate sense of unconditional love. He writes:

‘Dogs don’t lie: what you see is what you get, and for that reason dogs have a unique ability to lift the spirits of patients and touch them in a way that even human visitors do not.’

• Zinnia TV

Zinnia TV is TV specially designed for those with dementia.  I mentioned Zinnia TV in a previous post, so I am repeating this info because it seems like there was a real interest in this service.

Indeed, it is an IDEA product, a product of the IDEA lab (which stands for Innovation in Dementia Care and Aging), at the University of British Columbia. (A current project the IDEA lab is developing is the use of the ‘social robot’ – more about that in a subsequent post.)

Note that Zinnia TV is not a free service, but it is quite affordable. It was started by a caregiver who was looking for a way to calm her loved one who suffered with dementia. Once you purchase a subscription (either by the month or by year), you simply load the app provided onto your loved one’s device, such as an iPad or Android. (Other options are available as well besides those two, such as Apple TV.) All the links you will need to explore this service are provided below, including a link to the IDEA lab. I hope that by reading this post you have found another tool in your caregiver toolbox!

A word on the image: Above is a sketch of a poodle I made a while ago. My grandmother had a poodle as a companion before she went into care. I believe she was the light of her life and her primary reason for living, literally. Pet grief in older adults is a subject area I would like to dive into if there is sufficient interest. Please do let Vic at NSCR know if you are interested in learning more about this topic. Personally, my parents lost their dog in 2018 and I have to say it was a rather painful experience for them. Luckily my sibling has a dog that does visits at the care home where my father resides, so he does get a little fur therapy now and then!

As for me, I walk dogs, so I get fur therapy every week, and I have to say it really has improved my mood overall. Not everyone feels this way about dogs, but for some seniors it can make a major difference. In previous posts I explored a free service that homes rescue cats with seniors in the Lower Mainland area so if you are curious about that you can let Vic know about that too and I will forward you the info. I’ve noticed that lately the Lower Mainland is getting ‘pet friendlier.’ For example, you can now walk your dog on the Ambleside sea walk, whereas before the dog had to be kept on the other side of a fence that ran the length of the sea walk.

Resources Cited in This Post

Dogs:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_your_dog_can_relieve_your_anxiety

‘Let Dogs Be Dogs’ by The Monks of New Skete and Marc Goldberg (Little, Brown and Co., NY 2017)

Zinnia TV

https://www.zinniatv.com

https://www.zinniatv.com/ubc

Happy Holidays and Thanks for Reading! See you in 2024!

Some Sneak Previews for Future Topics:

Burnout

Preventing Falls

Social Robots

Coping with Menopause

Crafts as Therapy

Progressive Muscle Relaxation for Stress

And much, much, MORE!!!

If you don’t see something you are curious about, just ASK! I simply live for research! I would be happy to custom-write you a post.

Home for the Holidays 2023: Assessing Your Loved One’s Safety

by Catherine Bryson

Dr. Lakelyn (Gerontologist with the company Home Instead) has a weekly podcast called ‘Caregiver Chats’ that I listened in on recently and learned a lot about assessing the safety of loved ones.

Of course, for me, this is ‘closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.’ My father, as most of you know by now, is in care. The time to assess his safety with respect to independent living is now far gone.

But—still good to know, and pass on that knowledge to you, dear reader, so you are empowered to be ‘proactive’ rather than ‘reactive’ (which in many ways, is still the paradigm for senior health care today.)

So, whether you celebrate ‘Christmas’, or Hannukah or Kwanzaa—the reality is that many of you will travel to visit your folks, and when you do, Dr. Lakelyn suggests (wisely) that you use this opportunity to conduct your own informal, in-home ‘assessment’ of your loved ones’ safety.

And then, if necessary, take that giant ‘Bungee Jump’ in caregiving to actually launch the dreaded ‘conversation.’ Bear in mind, however, that you need to time the conversation carefully, and be mindful of the fact that multiple ‘conversations’ may be required.

Here are some signs that might indicate ‘areas of concern’:

• Missed medication, unpaid bills
• Changes in appearance (e.g. hygiene or weight loss)
• Dents or scratches on the car (which may necessitate conversations about driving safety)
• Misplaced vital items or items in the wrong place (e.g. house keys in the fridge)
• Decreased mobility or signs of a fall

These are, at least, the main ones. Be aware that your loved ones are still considered adults with full capacity to determine their own lives unless proven otherwise.

‘Starting the Conversation’ (Some Tips):

• Avoid accusing, show empathy
• Mention observations and generate solutions
• Consider your approach, ask what time would suit to have this ‘talk’
• If necessary, have back up (e.g. notes) or another family member
• Emphasize the fact that you are not trying to ‘take away’ their rights to independence; but rather, that you are trying to create safety for them so that they can stay independent, at home, for longer. For example, my mother, (who has since passed), sometimes objected to using a cane. I pointed out to her that the cane, though in some ways a stereotype of the elder, in fact, frees up the older adult so that they can maximize their independence and mobility (and not the reverse.)
• Lastly, use active listening. Paraphrase their response and verify (politely) that you heard them correctly, to avoid misunderstandings and flare-ups.

I hope this has helped you gain more confidence for your holiday visit. Pictured above is my own, homemade, ‘Senior Tree’ (like the one at London Drugs, that’s where I got the idea). I felt inspired, to be honest. On the tree are blue hearts, with the names of seniors in the community that I’ve known, or ones I’ve met at the care home where my father is.

If you would like me to put your loved one’s name on the Senior Tree, send an email to my volunteer supervisor, and NSCR’s Caregiver Support Program Coordinator, Vic Gailiunas at Vic.gailiunas@nscr.ca, and he will then forward your request to me.

I wish you all a happy, peaceful, and safe holiday.

My next post is on the therapeutic power of pets (specifically dogs). Fitting, since I’ve recently become a dog walker! I will also cover some helpful resources for folks caregiving for individuals with dementia that other readers of this blog have found helpful.