Animals and Wellness

What do animals have to do with wellness? Well actually, quite a bit!

Recently, a group of people from one of Baptist Housing's locations in the Interior, Village at Smith Creek, took a trip to a local therapeutic farm. Patsy Gillis, the Recreational Coordinator, related the following:

"The Arion Therapeutic Farm offers a safe and supervised experience for our seniors to enjoy and expand their physical and mental abilities - through the healing potential of animals and the serenity of nature.  Our group enjoyed grooming and petting the horses and mules.  Some had a ride on the horse cart.  …  All the senses are stimulated – sight, touch, sounds and smells.   So many of our seniors grew up on or worked on a farm and so this outing brought forth many fond memories.  Everyone enjoyed reminiscing and sharing stories… and the smiles were priceless!"

One of the seven components of Baptist Housing’s wellness model is “emotional wellness,” and animal therapy is a critical way to enhance this aspect of the human person! As the story indicates above, animals provide sensory stimulation and evoke strong memories. There are also studies which indicate the unique capacity of animals to address the emotional needs of a person by acting as non-judgmental, in-the-moment companions. An American psychotherapist, Dr. Jay P. Granat, has said: "Dogs—and other pets—live very much in the here and now. They don't worry about tomorrow. And tomorrow can be very scary for an older person. By having an animal with that sense of now, it tends to rub off on people." Emotional difficulties can impact all other areas of a senior’s life, including his or her physical, social and spiritual wellness. Because of this, Baptist Housing's caregivers pay close attention to the emotional well-being of our Residents, including arranging trips to the farm!