In retirement living facilities, pets are often brought in to visit groups of residents in order to stimulate the occupants and serve as a jumping off point for social interaction, according to the Associated Content.
However, experts were surprised to find that one-on-one visits, in which residents were able to interact with a dog alone, seemed to be more enjoyable.
"The residents found a little quiet time with the pooch is a lot nicer than spending time with a dog and other people," William A. Banks, a professor at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, told the new source.
It was also reported that all of the participating seniors experienced a better mood after interacting with a dog, but those who had alone time with a pooch had a more significant decrease in loneliness after five to six weeks of visits.
© Copyright
Categories: