Disabled individuals can be wary and inhibited around animals. Outreach visits can help overcome fears and open new doors.

by Animal Medical Center

Taking animals to visit disabled individuals living in healthcare facilities helps to open a variety of doors. Often, the animals are welcomed because they break the daily routine and give the residents a way to relate to each other.  In cases where social skills are lacking, the animals give residents something to talk about.

Mary, a senior citizen, and her Pomeranian, Bett, are frequent visitors to healthcare facilities in their area.  Mary recalls in one hospice facility, there was a woman who was constantly in a light coma.  At the urging of the hospice staff, Mary put her dog on the woman’s bed and Bett would lick the woman’s face energetically.  Every time she did it, the woman would wake up and smile.

Another time, Mary asked a disabled man in a nursing home if he’d like to pet here dog.  He sat up, his face lit up.  His touch was so gentle, that Mary almost cried.

These visits have added an important perspective to Mary’s life.