At the Zoo? No, At NeuLife. Achieving Successful Sustained Outcomes with Innovative Animal and Pet Therapies and Care

It’s not just pets like dogs, cats, fish and reptiles that facilitate physical and psychological rehabilitation from catastrophic injuries and traumas. It’s all manner of animals.

In prior articles, we discussed animals that are typically house pets. In another article, we discussed animals that are not house pets. By virtue of their sheer size — horses, for example, fall within that category. We talked about how there is a science behind the movement of horseback riding and how it can be incorporated by a multidisciplinary team of therapists into a Client Goal Plan. This can result in therapeutic effects for a client who has sustained a traumatic injury or a catastrophic injury and aid in his or her route to physical independence and successful sustained outcomes from his or her injuries.

But let’s talk about animals in general. By way of history, about the earliest reported use of animal assisted therapy was in the 18^th Century. At a New York “Retreat,” individuals with psychological problems were able to wander among a group of small domestic animals. It was believed that this was an effective method of socialization for the individuals. In 1860, a hospital in England brought animals to the ward and experienced similar results[1].

The primary steps in animal-assisted therapy are described below. They involve essentially three stages. Depending upon the needs of our client after an independent functional evaluation, NeuLife would follow similar steps and incorporate them into a Client Goal Plan. The Client Goal Plan is personalized to the client and is formulated by a multidisciplinary team. Using animal therapy as part of the residential service provided by NeuLife can involve the following:

• The client goes to therapy with a therapist and without an animal present so that the therapist can assess the therapy needs. At the next session the animal is introduced to the client and interactions between the animal and the client start.
• The therapist fosters a bond between the animal and the client by helping

the client to develop motor skills. This can be done in a number of ways, such as by feeding or by grooming the animal. Then, verbal skills are introduced or highlighted such as by having the client use verbal commands like sit or stay. Therapists also use animals as a form of motivation for the client. The client may be asked to perform both motor tasks and what might be called social tasks. The motor tasks could involve getting food and water for the animal and thereby to improve walking and balance. The social skills could involve holding, sitting near to and petting the animal. Positive interactions like that can be translated, generalized and transferred to social interactions with other individuals. They are observable, measurable and the positive results are subject to outcome tracking. Further, the range of catastrophic injuries and trauma to which animal therapy is applicable is virtually limitless, ranging from strokes, neurological problems, traumatic brain injuries, neurobehavioral and cognitive deficits and many other difficult and challenging diagnoses.

• The therapist monitors improvement with the human/animal interaction and judges the ability of the client to transfer the physical and social skills learned to daily situations, supported independent living or wholly independent living. Clients are then given power and independence with the freedom to make choices for the animal assisted therapy partner. After the client can interact with other individuals as well as they do with their animal partner, the treatment is deemed to have been completed. While animal-assisted therapy is not a cure, the manner in which NeuLife employs it makes it an innovative and valuable tool of post-acute rehabilitation and for addressing long-term needs.

At NeuLife, small dogs, horses, miniature horses and donkeys, are part of the animal “family” with which our clients can have interaction. From bringing smiles to our clients’ faces to much needed contact through petting and talking to the animals, the clients can have a positive therapeutic experience. It has been proven time and time again that actually petting an animal can lower one’s anxiety. It is, therefore, an important component of the NeuLife program to provide such opportunities for our clients.

In addition to the animal and pet therapies that we have discussed here and in prior articles, many other animals can be used in an overall schema of compensatory strategies for clients who have sustained catastrophic injuries of various types. Take, for example, capuchin monkeys. Among their many positive characteristics include:

• They are small in size — one can sit in a client’s lap or in the crook of his or her neck;
• They are amazingly dexterous and have wonderful fine motor skills;
• They live upwards of 30 years, making them a potentially lifelong partner.

How could a monkey help a client needing post-acute rehabilitation such as NeuLife’s? Even more, how could one help when the client has attained most of his or her functional independence, but still may need some help with a few things? Here are some of the possibilities:

• Turning pages;
• Picking up dropped objects;
• Scratching itches;
• Pushing buttons on remotes, telephones, etc.;
• Repositioning limbs on a wheelchair[2];
• Assist in making friends and starting conversations. You must admit, a monkey on a shoulder or neck would attract some attention and smiles. Smiles to and from the client are integral to achieving the best possible outcome. Getting a client to that point is and will always be NeuLife’s mission.

Proper and timely post-acute rehabilitation that may determine the difference between disability and independence is what NeuLife refers to as the “platinum post-acute period” — the crucial window following acute care that is needed to nurture the whole person to health with specialized, clinically relevant services.

NeuLife’s philosophy is that healing, wellness and personal fulfillment are best achieved in a positive and uplifting therapeutic environment where caring staff encourages, assists and supports each client so he or she may achieve specific goals. NeuLife believes personal fulfillment is equally as important as goals to achieve function and independence.

NeuLife, in Mount Dora, Florida, is an accessible residential post-acute program providing specialized rehabilitation to individuals diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), traumatic amputations and other catastrophic injuries.

2725 Robie Avenue

Mount Dora, Florida 32757

[1] Serpell, James (2000). “Animal Companions and Human Well-Being: An Historical Exploration of the Value of Human-Animal Relationships”. Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice: 3–17.

[2] http://www.monkeyhelpers.org/our-programs/monkey-care-and-training/why-monkeys