Do you ever get tired of kittens making headlines? Neither do we. Yardi client Pacifica Senior Living transforms the lives of residents one purr at a time. Its property, the Meridian at Anaheim Hills, is warming hearts and improving outcomes for residents with weekly Kitten Therapy Day! 1051922 The program offers benefits for residents and felines. Kitten Therapy Day: the start of something wonderful Meridian business manager Lori Irby first brought kittens to the office back in 2019. She is an ASPCA foster caregiver . When newborn kittens were abandoned at the Orange County animal shelter, she took them into her home and into her office where she could feed them every few hours. Shortly after setting up a playpen for the kittens in her office, residents took interest. Irby received an influx of guests. She noticed how quickly the kittens made their impact on the residents: disinterest transformed into engagement and smiles graced faces that had been chronically tense or sad. Irby decided to collaborate with the site activities director to begin Kitten Therapy Day every Wednesday. The event shifted from Irby’s office into one of the community’s shared spaces. All residents who are cat allergy-free are welcomed to snuggle up with the kittens. For residents who cannot leave their rooms, Irby places a few kittens in a stroller for kitten therapy on the go. “For many, it’s the highlight of the week. It’s given residents something to look forward to, especially during the pandemic when no visitors could come in. There’s just something really warm and comforting about holding a purring kitten,” says Irby. The kittens usually stay in the Meridian program for about eight weeks before they are formally put up for adoption through the ASPCA. More often than not, there’s already...

One of the best forms of therapy for older adults is also the furriest. Turns out, a friendly dog or two can do a lot to lift the mood and health of those who live in senior living communities. Pet therapy (or animal-assisted therapy in non-layman’s terms) is a service where animals – usually dogs – are brought in for short visits. Residents get the opportunity to interact with the animals by holding and petting them or simply sitting alongside and watching. Either way, the experiences often bring smiles to faces and wags to tails, and science has shown there are many more benefits besides. What benefits does pet therapy provide? Mental: Caregivers often report higher levels of happiness in residents after an animal visit, but the changes can be seen in the brain chemistry too. Studies reveal that the act of petting a dog can cause the brain to release serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin, “feel-good” hormones that help regulate and elevate your mood. At the same time, a visit by a dog can drop your level of epinephrine, a hormone produced by the body under stress. Physical: Pets can do one’s heart good – literally. Weekly visits with therapy dogs can lower blood pressure for older adults, while pet owners have been shown to have a 33% lower risk of death following a hospitalization for a heart attack. Pet therapy can even decrease use of antidepressants and medical services. Social: Animals provide unconditional companionship, which can help people feel less lonely. In one study, senior living residents who received 30-minute pet therapy sessions weekly for over a month scored significantly lower on loneliness scales than those who did not. Therapy animals also motivate residents to communicate more, even those with memory conditions like...