Elderly Programme
Improving emotional well-being and empowering seniors in the community and institutions through equine-assisted programmes
About EQUAL’s elderly programmes
EQUAL’s elderly programme
Through a combination of person-centred care and animal-assisted learning, EQUAL’s elderly programme is a psycho-social care programme designed to improve the emotional well-being and mobility of seniors living in the community and in institutions.
Equine-assisted sessions for the elderly include interactions with the horses, music and movement components and craft activities.
Horses by your (bed)side
Horses by your (bed)side is an equine-assisted programme specially developed for bed-bound seniors in nursing homes. Bed-bound residents enjoy therapeutic bedside visits by EQUAL’s miniature horses, and where appropriate, are engaged through horse-related activities, such as learning to care for and interacting with the horses.
Email us at elderlyprogramme@equal.org.sg to find out more.
Profile
Elderly aged 65 and above living in institutions or the community, including those with dementia, depression or special needs.
Objectives
- Improve mental and psychological well-being and social connectedness of the elderly
- Where applicable, support the seniors’ physical capacity and cognitive functioning
Programme Overview
- 8 sessions; 2 hours per session
- Group size of 10 – 12 pax per session
- High instructor-to-participant ratio
"The 8 elderly who completed 10 weekly sessions at EQUAL had good results and improvement in mental well-being and better resilience in dealing with depression."
"St Theresa’s Home and EQUAL worked together to bring equine-assisted therapy for elderly residents in 2017. A 6-session programme was planned for residents with behavioral issues, depression or dementia. From the beginning to the end of the six sessions, residents surprised the staff with many changes. Those with depression became more vocal. They were seen talking more and expressing their affection with the horses. Residents with anger issues were also calmer after the therapy sessions. Most surprising of all was the impact on two residents with dementia. They were able to recall their time spent with the horses and the names of their favourite horses. This programme was a great success and we look forward to bring more residents to EQUAL in 2018."
Apex Harmony Lodge and EQUAL collaborated in 2017 to deliver equine assisted therapy for Person with Dementia (PWD). This programme is uniquely designed to enhance PWDs’ mood, engagement and promote well-being. It started out successfully as our residents are excited and relate well to the horses. Our Occupational Therapist tracked the progress of our residents using Dementia Care Mapping, Bradford Well-Being Profiling Tool and MOCA. Across 10 sessions, residents demonstrated overwhelming positive vs negative well-being scores, and an increase in overall positive mood and engagement. To date, a total of 20 residents have enjoyed this therapy and we hope to continue our collaboration with EQUAL in 2018."
Horsemanship
This is the art of caring for horses. Clients are taught basic horse-handling and horse-grooming skills. Through this, they learn the importance of building trust, patience, and caring for those they love.
For many of our clients, this relationship with our horses is one of the rare healthy relationships in their lives. By extrapolating the lessons from the stables to their homes and schools, from animals to the humans in their lives, we help them re-gain confidence in building relationships with those in their lives.
Horseplay
This module involves playing games such as Horse Billiards, Horse Soccer and Crossing The River, which bring to life social-emotional lessons about persistence, empathy, problem-solving, teamwork, and attentiveness.
Clients learn about the consequences of their actions not through words, but through concrete feedback from a majestic 500kg new friend that they will always remember.