THE HEART OF SENIOR LIVING
Memory Care’s ‘Best Friend’ Plays Crucial Role in Communities
By Joanne Kaldy
involve medications or technology. Instead, it has four legs and a cold nose. Dogs have a positive impact of many residents, often at the most difficult times in their lives. Karl Steinberg, MD, a California-based
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physician and host of the Caring On-The- Go podcast, has been taking his dogs to long-term care facilities since the 1990s; and he knows the benefit of “dog therapy” firsthand. A favorite story, he said, involves a man over 100-years-old with a dementia diagnosis. He seemed to be nonverbal, sug- gesting that his dementia was advancing. Steinberg thought perhaps the man was hard of hearing, so he spoke loud and clear and he tried writing messages for him to read. None of these steps produced results. Then one day Steinberg brought his dal-
matian with him. The man lit up immedi- ately and started talking: “Hey, Spotty. Hey, Spotty!” After that, said Steinberg, “He become more talkative. He said he wanted a glass of wine. He had been the facility for a year, and it took a dog to get him to talk. It must have rekindled some memories and feelings in him. I’ll never forget it.” Years later, Steinberg had two dogs he
would bring to work with him. They would visit different residents; but he recalled one in particular. “One gentleman would weep when he saw the dogs. Then he would hug them and snuggle with them in bed. He wasn’t sad, just emotionally uninhibited,” he said. When Steinberg talked to the man’s daughter, she said that her father actually loved dogs “more than us kids,” and she was grateful that they were able to bring him some comfort now.
48 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MAY/JUNE 2023
Dogs and Dementia Steinberg noted, “People can connect with dogs even if they have profound dementia. They pet the dogs, hug them, and it brings them joy and triggers happy memories.” However, he notes that not everyone likes dogs, and some people may be allergic, so it is important to determine who might enjoy the animal visits and what residents to keep dogs away from. It also is worth noting a resident’s history
and what breeds or sizes of dogs are most like- ly to resonate with them. For instance, Stein- berg had a colleague who took her chihuahua to visit residents, and one man who she was told loved dogs showed little interest. She saw that he had photos of hunting scenes in his room and suggested that he likely would enjoy visits from a retriever- or spaniel-type dog.
Of course, it’s important to watch all
residents during interactions with dogs to protect both them and the animal. Stein- berg noted that his dogs never harmed a resident. The closest such instance, he said, was when a resident who had just had knee surgery called his dog up on her bed. Before Steinberg could react, the dog jumped and landed on her knee. She howled but fortu- nately wasn’t hurt. “I felt terrible and apologized, but she said
that it was her fault for calling the dog with- out thinking.” But it is essential to be careful and realize residents may be frail. Jumping, playful nipping, scratching, or digging are unacceptable behaviors for visiting animals. At the same time, Steinberg noted, it is
essential to protect the dogs from residents who might harm them, even unintentionally.
ne of the most popular strategies to improve mood and behaviors in memory care residents doesn’t
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