26 Apr Elderly people return to active life with the help of dogs
The ÂNIMAS association has launched the Envolver Project, to motivate the elderly to return to active life with the help of dogs, in the parish of Paranhos, Porto.
ÂNIMAS is an animal welfare association that has been operating since 2002. "We are a group of people who are sure of the added value of the interaction between animals and human beings," says the president, Abílio Leite.
With the covid-19 pandemic, the elderly were the most affected age group, which prompted the creation of the Involve Project, which aims to motivate this group of society to return to active life.
With the lockdown `{`the elderly`}` lost their groups of friends, senior universities, choir groups, the church itself, which no longer has celebrations, among other activities, and what we thought of was creating something that would motivate them to get out of their `cabana``.
says Abílio Leite.
The project is essentially aimed at elderly people who show signs of isolation, many of whom have already been referred by the social services of parish councils and municipalities.
With the help of what is known as man's best friend, the association's proposal is to organize and promote activities that put the elderly in the presence of dogs, initially. The president of ÂNIMAS explains that the aim is to "create an environment in which people become empathetic towards each other, as a result of the dog being present".
As interpersonal relationships are formed, the next step is to start overlapping activities at the same time as the meetings with the dogs. "People start to have to choose between staying with the dogs or, for example, going to the movies with the group, starting to free themselves from the session with the animals to make room for socializing," explains Abílio Leite.
Although there are a number of animals that can be used in assisted interventions, ÂNIMAS only works with dogs, as there are already several studies on the benefits that can be achieved with canines, as Abílio Leite says:
Dogs calm people down, reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure and facilitate the release of hormones such as oxytocin, which puts people in a better mood.
Throughout the process, the elderly will be accompanied by psychologists, who will guarantee the necessary support and safety, and the pairs of animals and therapists who will be operating will undergo rigorous training, which is currently underway, so that the initiative can be put into practice from June.
There is no discrimination between the breeds involved, but there are some that are more suitable for this type of therapy. "What we've seen in all the pairs we've done is that 30% of the pairs are made up of Labradors and Golden Retrievers, very close to 30% we also have mutts, and then there are many other breeds in smaller numbers," says Abílio Leite.
Initially, the Envolver Project will be developed only in the parish of Paranhos, Porto, but it could be replicated and extended to various areas of the country, provided there are people trained and experienced in the area.
The process for the elderly is completely free, while for those interested in taking part as a therapist, the training costs 500 euros, and you can get in touch with ÂNIMAS via their website ( https://animasportugal.org/).
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