Pet Therapy and Animal Companionship
December 16, 2025
The emotional benefits pets can offer are well established, and these benefits can be even more considerable for the aging population. While it can be difficult to quantify how enriching and rewarding animal companionship can be, there is no denying that it is. At The Hickman, a senior living community in Pennsylvania, we embrace the positivity of pet therapy and animal companionship, and our residents benefit as a result.
Pet Therapy
Pet therapy is a structured therapeutic endeavor that uses trained dogs and other pets to promote social, emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being. Animals can provide a profound sense of connection, support, comfort, care, and even healing, and this can play a powerful role in the lives of older adults.
Pet therapy is also called animal-assisted therapy (AAT), and it involves integrating trained animals like therapy dogs into a therapeutic space. The specific goals of AAT tend to include one or more of the following:
- Reducing overall stress and anxiety in response to life’s challenges
- Reinforcing positive and effective social and behavioral skills
- Supporting effective emotional regulation
- Encouraging happiness and joy for the simple things in life
Animal Companionship
On the other hand, while animal companionship is a facet of pet therapy, it is more generalized in scope. Animal companionship is all about the unbound joy that pets afford, and this can mean having a pet of one’s own or deriving pleasure from pets that belong to others.
Connecting with an animal at this level can foster serious benefits, such as:
- Providing mental stimulation that helps improve verbalization and deepen nonverbal connections
- Affording ongoing companionship that fights loneliness and bolsters a sense of belonging
- Encouraging memory recall during interactions with the pet
- Improving physical health by lowering blood pressure and reducing pain levels, effects that are supported by scientific data
- Improving motor skills in the execution of routine activities like petting the animal, giving it treats, taking it for walks, and interacting with it
- Feeling happier overall, which is associated with the release of endorphins that boost mood
At The Hickman
At The Hickman, we appreciate everything that pets have to offer our residents and staff, and this guides our programs and practices. We incorporate AAT in our therapeutic approach, and our residents respond in overwhelmingly positive ways.
Pet visits, whether from family members or volunteers in the community, are a long-standing tradition at The Hickman, and the benefits are clear. Whether it’s a trained therapy animal or a beloved pet of a volunteer or relative, The Hickman appreciates the many benefits our residents derive from animals.
The Hickman in Pennsylvania Embraces Pet Therapy and Animal Companionship
At The Hickman, we understand the importance of holistic senior living that incorporates the many rewards associated with pet therapy and animal companionship. Explore the difference that our approach can make by contacting us online or calling us at 484-760-6300 today.