At Ascend Health, our pet therapy program is designed to provide comfort, emotional support and holistic well-being for patients facing challenging health journeys. By integrating certified pet therapy volunteers into our care approach, we aim to enhance the quality of life for individuals in hospice, palliative care and home health environments.
Our unique program welcomes professionally trained therapy animals brought by dedicated volunteers. This inclusive approach allows us to offer a wider variety of animal interactions while maintaining the highest standards of care and safety. Research consistently shows that regular interaction with animals can significantly improve patient outcomes and emotional well-being.
We believe that the human-animal bond is a powerful therapeutic tool that can bring moments of joy, comfort and normalcy to patients during difficult times. Whether it’s the wag of a tail, a gentle purr or simply the warm presence of a compassionate creature, these experiences create meaningful connections that support our holistic approach to patient care.
Pet therapy goes far beyond simple companionship. The positive effects of animals on health and happiness have been extensively documented through research and clinical observation. For patients dealing with serious illness or end-of-life care, these benefits can be particularly significant and far-reaching.
The benefits of our animal therapy programs include:
These animal therapy benefits extend to family members and caregivers as well, creating positive shared experiences during challenging times. Our staff regularly observes how animal interactions can transform the atmosphere in a patient’s room, bringing light and joy to difficult situations.
Our hospice pet therapy programs are carefully structured to meet the unique needs of each patient while maintaining safety and comfort for everyone involved. The program operates through volunteer pet visits.
Volunteers bring certified pets to interact with patients, creating comfortable, natural encounters that feel like visiting with a friend’s beloved pet. These volunteers and their animals undergo screening to ensure they’re well-suited for the healthcare environment. The positive effects of these experiences can be extremely beneficial to health and happiness, often becoming a highlight of a patient’s week.
Each visit is tailored to the individual patient’s preferences, conditions and energy levels. Some patients might enjoy active play with an energetic puppy, while others prefer the gentle presence of a calm, older animal resting quietly by their side. Our program coordinators carefully match animals and patients to create the most beneficial experience possible.
For hospice patients concerned about their own beloved pets, we offer a complementary service through our Pet Peace of Mind program. While our pet therapy program brings animals to visit patients, Pet Peace of Mind focuses on helping patients keep and care for their own pets during hospice care. Through this program, trained volunteers assist with pet care tasks, veterinary appointments and other needs to ensure patients can maintain their bond with their pets during this critical time.
Pet therapy, also known as animal-assisted therapy, is a guided interaction between a person and an animal designed to help people recover from or cope with health challenges. At Ascend Health, our pet therapy program brings the comfort and joy of animal companionship to patients in hospice, palliative care and home health settings. These therapeutic interactions aim to improve patients’ social, emotional and physical well-being through the natural bond that forms between humans and animals.
Pet therapy works by creating positive interactions between patients and animals, which can trigger numerous psychological and physiological benefits. When a patient engages with a therapy animal, their brain releases endorphins and other “feel-good” chemicals that reduce stress and increase feelings of well-being. The simple act of petting an animal can lower blood pressure and decrease anxiety.
For hospice pet therapy and palliative care patients, these interactions provide meaningful distraction from pain or discomfort while creating moments of normalcy and joy. Our program ensures each visit is appropriate for the patient’s condition and preferences, with trained handlers guiding the interaction for maximum therapeutic benefit.
While dogs are most common, many species can serve as effective therapy animals. Dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, miniature horses and even birds can provide therapeutic benefits in the right settings. The most important qualities for any therapy animal are a calm, friendly temperament; comfort with strangers; adaptability to new environments; and appropriate training.
At Ascend Health, we primarily work with dogs and cats, but occasionally incorporate other gentle animals into our program. Each animal is evaluated individually for their suitability to interact with patients in healthcare settings, with special attention paid to the animal’s temperament, behavior and response to various situations.
If you have a pet that you think would be a great pet therapist please contact our volunteer department.
Yes, cats can absolutely be therapy animals. Many cats have gentle temperaments that make them excellent companions for patients. They are particularly beneficial for individuals who may find larger animals intimidating or who prefer a more subtle form of interaction.
f you have a cat that you think would be a great pet therapist please contact our Volunteer Department.
No, therapy dogs and service animals are not the same thing. Service animals, typically dogs, are trained to perform specific tasks for individuals with disabilities and are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They work exclusively with their owners and have legal access to public places.
Therapy dogs, in contrast, are trained to provide comfort and emotional support to multiple people in settings like hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care. They visit with many different patients and don’t have the same legal access rights as service animals. While both types of animals provide valuable support, they have different roles, training requirements and legal classifications. Our pet therapy program utilizes therapy animals rather than service animals.
At Ascend Health, we believe in a holistic approach to care that addresses not just physical health, but emotional and spiritual well-being as well. Our pet therapy programs embody this philosophy, providing a unique and powerful form of support for patients and their families during challenging times.
The simple presence of an animal can transform a clinical environment into a warmer, more homelike space. For patients facing serious illness or end-of-life journeys, these moments of normality and connection are invaluable. They provide a welcome respite from medical routines and create spaces for authentic joy and comfort.
Family members often report that seeing their loved one interact with a therapy animal creates precious memories during difficult times. These shared positive experiences can strengthen bonds and provide comfort that extends beyond the animal visit itself. Many families specifically request pet therapy as part of their care plan after witnessing its profound effects.
Our healthcare professionals integrate pet therapy into comprehensive care plans, recognizing that emotional well-being significantly impacts physical comfort and quality of life. By addressing the whole person — body, mind and spirit — our animal therapy program complements traditional medical treatments to provide truly comprehensive care.
Through the unconditional love and acceptance that animals naturally offer, we hope to create moments of peace, connection and even joy for our patients. Even in the most challenging healthcare circumstances, the human-animal bond reminds us of our capacity for connection and the simple pleasures that make life meaningful.
At Ascend Health, our pet therapy program is just one aspect of our holistic approach to compassionate care. We understand that each patient’s journey is unique, which is why we offer a diverse range of specialized support services tailored to individual needs.
If you or your loved one are facing specific health challenges, we provide condition-specific support programs for cancer, heart disease, memory care and COPD and respiratory conditions. These specialized programs complement our core hospice and palliative care services with targeted approaches for symptom management and quality of life.
We also offer enriching programs that nurture the whole person, including life review sessions that celebrate personal histories, dedicated veterans support honoring military service and additional holistic therapies such as music therapy and massage therapy. Each of these compassionate approaches works in harmony with our pet therapy program to provide comprehensive support for patients and families during life’s most challenging transitions.
Contact us or call 866.821.1212 today to learn how our hospice pet therapy and palliative care services can help your loved one experience comfort, dignity and animal companionship.