(pictured above) Atria resident, Marilyn, smiles as she hugs Jessica the therapy pony
“Right off, I felt a connection. It was like the horse knew me, and I knew it,” said Susan, a resident at Atria Marland Place. This was her second week attending Ironstone Farm’s Equine Touch Therapy program, dedicated to improving the physical and emotional well-being of seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The horse’s gentle movements and patient, calming energy have been of great service to nearly a dozen weekly residents attending the program at Ironstone Farm, which is made possible thanks to a $7,000 Leclair Elder Services grant from Greater Lowell Community Foundation.
Touch Therapy is especially important now as the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 6.2 million Americans have been diagnosed with the disease, which kills more people than breast and prostate cancer combined. While there is no effective treatment, interacting and caring for animals has been shown to have physical and psychological benefits. Horses and equine therapy have been especially effective in providing comfort to a person who may be having a difficult time processing memories and negative thoughts.
Atria residents meet with Spud the donkey
For the residents at Atria Marland Place, it was as much of a chance to experience the joy of being around animals as it was reliving precious memories. This was particularly true for Marilyn, an Atria resident living with dementia. Marilyn had led a life of adventure, running a ranch in Oklahoma with her husband before returning to New England to take care of her own health.
“She never thought that, after leaving the ranch, she would be able to experience what she has experienced with Ironstone Farm,” explained Atria’s Engage Life Director, Mary Mazza.
Mazza spoke with Marilyn after each session and was amazed at how critical the sense of smell was to tap into old memories.
“The smell brought back so many memories for her, working with the horses and seeing a steel barn. Everything just came back to life for her, and she was seeing a whole new newness in life itself…dreams came to life for her once again at her age she keeps talking about that.”
Mazza also noticed that residents who search for sensory input or usually become agitated were calm, smiling, and even speaking to the horses. Other residents, who normally, due to confusion and disorientation, were withdrawn and introverted, were engaged, happy, and striking up a conversation. This change occurs while residents are experiencing the program at the farm but also stays with them once they return to Atria, as they talk excitedly about their time at Ironstone.
“It turned out to be so effective in so many ways for everyone,” Mary smiled.