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Studying the Science of Love: A Researcher's Dogs Help Chase Away Loneliness

Posted on: Monday, 26 December 2005, 12:00 CST

By Nicole Nascenzi, Tulsa World, Okla., Tulsa World, Okla.

Dec. 26--One Oklahoma State University professor is making sure residents of a Tulsa nursing home have plenty of visitors during the holiday season.

The visitors don't come to play cards or chat, and the only thing they want in return for their time is the occasional biscuit.

Pistol, Pete, Patience and Patches are four therapy dogs that Sherril Stone uses to test the importance of human-pet relationships, while ensuring the residents of Leisure Village nursing home and Heather Ridge assisted living center have frequent guests.

The dogs, each with a two-legged escort, circulate through the common room, ignoring wheelchairs and oxygen tanks to focus instead on the people.

Stone, assistant professor and director of research for OSU's Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa, said there are many theories as to why people enjoy animals, but she believes the human/animal bond has to do with unconditional love.

For nursing home resident Paul Standley, the animal visits help break up the monotony of his days. After suffering several strokes, the 53-year-old now lives at Leisure Village and is often in a wheelchair.

"I have more time than anything else and this helps break up the time," Standley said. "I love dogs -- I had four growing up.

"I look forward to this," he said, motioning to the springer spaniel at his feet.

Fellow resident Maxine Franis, 83, shares a similar sentiment and believes the dogs not only give people something to look forward to, but that the animals help "lift up their spirits."

Franis' thoughts are in line with a lot of research conducted in the field of human and animal relations, Stone said.

Animals have been shown to lower people's blood pressure, lead to a longer life and ease depression, she said.

Some of the residents put the smaller dogs on their laps or reach to the floor to pet the canines.

Stone said the natural actions of reaching and petting can also serve as mini-physical therapy sessions for the patients.

Normally, Stone and her cadre of animals, staffers and volunteers visit the nursing home and assisted living center every other week. But during the holiday season, Stone brings the animals in for weekly visits to help ease what can be a lonely time of year for some.

"A lot of these people don't have anyone to visit them, so the animals help," she said.

Marie Colleoni, 94, said the dogs make her happy, and "it is a pleasure to have them around."

Like many of the residents at Leisure Village, seniors often are forced to abandon pets when they move into nursing homes and assisted-living centers.

Stone said because of compelling research in the field which shows the positive benefits of pets, many hospitals and nursing homes are changing their policies to allow visits from four-legged friends. Some assisted-living centers are even allowing residents to bring pets with them when they move in.

Stone suggests asking facilities whether a pet visit would be welcomed when a loved one is in a medical facility.

"A physician will prescribe a pill, but I prescribe an animal," she said.

The professor hopes to expand her research to include other species of animals including cats, rabbits and pot-belly pigs. She also hopes to quantitatively measure some of the ways patients respond to animals.

Stone said she spends up to a year training her dogs to be therapy animals. The dogs have to be calm, docile and not react badly if a person accidentally mishandles them.

"They have to learn not to bite if a wheelchair goes over their tail," she said.

More information about Stone's research is available by visiting .

Nicole Nascenzi 581-8315

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Source: Tulsa World

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