Long-term care residents fall in love with Companion Pets

Apr 22, 2018 | 9:00 AM

Some fuzzy new companions have captured the hearts of local care home residents and now the push is on to raise some extra funds so more residents can have one.  

Residents at the Herb Basset home in Prince Albert have fallen in love with a series of robotic cats and dogs. The Joy for All Companion Pets are life-like robotic pets, that look and feel similar to real animals and can respond to touch and light.

 

The Herb Basset Home currently has 11 of the companion pets, and there are a few at the Pineview Terrace Long-Term Care Home as well. Jen McDougall, recreation coordinator at the Herb Basset Home, says they’re hoping to raise enough money for at least 15 more companion pets for residents. The Herb Bassett Home currently has 144 residents.

“They were an instant hit,” McDougall told paNOW. “This is just such a wonderful thing to give them some companionship … the residents are just absolutely in love.”

While some family members have purchased pets for their loved ones, McDougall said the cost of the pets has been a deterrent for others. The companion pets retail for about $150 each with taxes.

McDougall said the pets come with brushes for grooming and residents who have them also enjoy taking naps and spending meals with them. For residents who may feel helpless, lonely or bored, the companion pets give them a purpose, she said.

“We’ve bought collars for them (and) some of the family members have come and purchased for their loves ones, and gotten together and named it. It’s become sort of a part of the family,” McDougall added.

The Victoria Hospital Foundation is helping to collect funds to buy more companion pets. Executive Director Sherry Buckler said ideally, it would be nice to have a pet for every resident.

“When I went down there to sort of learn more about them, and I was speaking with some of the residents, I could see how happy they were and how in love with these little fuzzy pets they were,” Buckler said.

“In these types of facilities, we have to be very careful about infection control and allergies, so these pets don’t pose any types of challenges in those areas, and that’s why we like them so much.”

McDougall said the pets are great for all residents, but especially those who aren’t able to participate in other activities at the Herb Bassett Home.

“We’ve got some residents that can’t come to any of my programs (and) they can benefit from this … I can’t bring in 144 cats and dogs, so this is the next-best thing,” she added.

“If they want something, I want to be able to give it to them, and when I can’t be here or their family members can’t be here, I think it’s so great that they’ve got something.”

 

Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt