{"id":794,"date":"2017-01-12T10:02:36","date_gmt":"2017-01-12T16:02:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/generationsregency.com\/?p=794"},"modified":"2017-01-12T10:03:23","modified_gmt":"2017-01-12T16:03:23","slug":"pet-therapy-with-bella","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/generationsregency.com\/2017\/01\/12\/pet-therapy-with-bella\/","title":{"rendered":"Pet Therapy with Bella"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Regency<\/p>\n

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\"Regency<\/p>\n

Several times a month the staff at Generations at Regency incorporates their pets with the residents, in our program called \u201cpet therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pet therapy is a growing field and research has shown how beneficial it can be to the elderly, especially those who are living in a nursing home or skilled rehabilitation facility. Regular visits with pets, usually dogs, can have positive physical, emotional, and mental benefits.\u00a0 Just 15 minutes bonding with an animal sets off a chemical chain reaction in the brain, lowering levels of the fight-or-flight hormone cortisol and increasing production of the feel-good hormone serotonin. The result: heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels immediately drop. Over the long term, pet and human interactions can lower cholesterol levels, fight depression and may even help protect against heart disease and stroke.<\/p>\n

Pet therapy has also been known to be beneficial in the following ways:<\/p>\n