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The scheme, which sees everyday people and their dogs volunteer to visit residents across the state, is dedicated to bringing joy, companionship, and comfort to people in aged care homes. It helps to alleviate feelings of isolation and boredom, and the dogs seem to love it too.
Although dog owners know intuitively the benefits that dog ownership provides, there is a considerable body of research to demonstrate the benefits of canine therapy for people living in aged care facilities.
Canine visits have been shown to stimulate conversation and social interaction, improve morale, and mitigate the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
A visitor with their caring canine can have positive emotional, physical, and mental benefits for residents. The engagement with well socialised dogs provides variety, the opportunity for safe contact, relaxation, and a number of well-documented therapeutic benefits. Residents experiencing dementia have been studied and the positive effects of canine visiting have been shown to complement and even surpass medication regimes. These studies are cited on the website.
Caring Canines organises and manages visits to residents of aged care homes by dogs and their owners and liaise with dog owners and care homes to ensure that visits run smoothly and are enjoyed by all. All dogs are put through two assessments for temperament, behaviour, and how they will react in a variety of situations. The first is in a public park. The second assessment is in an aged care home to check the dog’s reactions to environmental factors such as floor coverings and the presence of wheelchairs and trolleys.
For information about the scheme, and to see an image gallery of the dogs in action, visit the link below.