Alzheimer’s is a non-contagious, progressive and irreversible brain disease that alters personality and gradually destroys a person’s memory as a result of the death of neurons, as well as their ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out everyday activities.
People with Alzheimer’s gradually lose their memories and identity until they no longer recognize the reality around them. The disease lasts between 7 and 15 years. During this time, the person’s impairment and dependence become increasingly severe. It is considered an incurable epidemic. More than 46 million people are affected worldwide. A new case is diagnosed every three seconds, and it is estimated that by 2050, if no cure is found, the number of cases will have tripled.
The main risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s is aging. As life expectancy has increased worldwide, so has the number of people with Alzheimer’s.
At present, there is no cure (and hopefully one will be found soon), but there are therapies that help delay or lessen the effects of the disease. One of them is therapy with dogs.
It is known that pets improve people’s quality of life. And many studies have confirmed the benefits of dog-assisted therapy for older people with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. The main objective of these non-pharmacological treatments is to improve the quality of life of older people, focusing on four fundamental areas: physical, cognitive, emotional and social. Animals thus become the best medicine for patients, whose mood improves noticeably through simple contact with a pet. Dogs can also provide the necessary stimulus for older people to overcome emotional and social losses and, in some cases, even improve their mobility.
Oms-Sant Miquel Residence, in Mallorca, has been using this treatment for more than three years, and all you have to do is look at the images to understand how much good animals do for affected older people:
In these cases, the dogs used in this therapy are trained for months so that they gradually become accustomed to social interaction. For the animals to perform this wonderful work, they must first demonstrate an instinct for interacting with people, as well as a retrieving instinct, which is necessary for the various games played with them. In addition, logically, they must have a calm temperament. That is why they are usually medium-sized or large breeds, preferably Golden Retrievers or Labradors.
The selected dogs are taught to fetch objects and place them in different locations (in the patient’s hand, on the floor or on their knees), depending on what is intended to be worked on with the person (movements, gestures of gratitude toward the animal…). They are also taught to interact with those affected through games, which on the one hand capture these people’s attention and on the other help them remember things as basic as numbers, colors or letters. Through all this, the dogs encourage the expression of emotions, as well as a sense of usefulness, while relaxing and socializing the person with the disease.
We encourage you to watch this beautiful video, in which we witness a dog-assisted therapy session for this cruel disease.