Saturday, 11th May 2024
THE LLAR DE CALVIÀ (SENIOR CITIZENS' HOME OF CALVIÀ) PROMOTES A DOG THERAPY PROGRAMME TO COMBAT RESIDENTS' LONELINESS
Chloe is an 11-month-old miniature Schnauzer who has become one of the family
A "resident" of the Llar de Calvià has touched the hearts of the rest of her colleagues. Chloe is a miniature Schnauzer, just 11 months old, who came to the residence as a puppy. They assure that she feels like the residents' protector, something like "a Civil Guard agent." This has led to her “people skills” being used to promote a dog therapy project in the Llar. After a successful equine therapy experience, horses have given way to Chloe.
Juan Caimari, manager of the Llar de Calvià, explained that "after a three-month equine therapy cycle we changed the cycle and the truth is that the result has been fantastic, it has even improved on the previous one, and it was excellent." Juana María Prats, Deputy Mayor for Social Services, Family and the Elderly, points out that “at the Llar we pursue innovation. We have seen that residents respond very well to the novelties. "We aim to create new ways for residents not to remain inactive."
Residents interact with Chloe, taking her for walks, brushing her hair, simple activities that they look forward to and keep them active. Josefina Riera, psychologist at the centre, assures that “animal therapies help improve the resident's physical and emotional quality of life. What we have noticed is how Chloe helps them show emotions and alleviate the feeling of loneliness. Riera assures that the dog knows all the residents very well because "she adapts to each one's way of walking when they take her for a walk, to their pace, to those who go with a walker or in a wheelchair."
