Memory Mews

Program participants will be individuals that are a part of the senior community (ages 65 and older), with emphasis on those that suffer from dementia, and their caregiver.

The program will occur on scheduled week days between the hours of 1:00 – 3:00 pm. 

The sessions will last 30 – 40 minutes long and offered on an individual basis. 

Participants MUST have a scheduled session to participate and sign a liability waiver prior to interacting with the animals. 

Cat social rooms and adoption rooms will be utilized to facilitate the interaction between client and cat/s. The accompanying caregiver will be required to stay in the room with their client in order to maintain a safe environment for the cats and the client. 

This program is only for patients that are non-aggressive and capable of taking direction. If a participant becomes agitated/aggressive during a session, the session will end immediately and future visits may not be allowed. 

There is no charge for a Memory Mews session. However, donations to the shelter are always appreciated. 

To book a Memory Mews session please contact therapy@hsbroward.com. 

You will work with Katie, Community Programs Manager, to schedule a session with our wonderful cats. 

A liability consent form will be required in order to participate. 

According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 55 million people that have dementia worldwide and every year another 10 million cases are diagnosed. Dementia patients often suffer from memory loss, confusion, changes in mood/behavior, negative impacts on mental health (depression, agitation, etc.), social withdraw, etc. Dementia affects not just the individual but their families as well.

According to Chernaick, multiple studies have shown that interacting with animals has a profound impact on people suffering from dementia. There is a proven correlation between animal interaction and increased social behaviors, reduced behavioral disturbance, reduced agitation, and increased communication.

* Cherniack, E & Cherniack, Ariella. (2014). The Benefit of Pets and Animal-Assisted Therapy to the Health of Older Individuals. Current gerontology and geriatrics research. 2014. 623203. 10.1155/2014/623203.

The population of senior citizens continues to rise in Florida. According to the Palm Beach Post, “Florida leads the nation with more than 18% of its population aged 65 or older.” As we age, our ability to keep a pet of our own can be hindered for various reasons. By offering the Memory Mews program to the South Florida senior community, we are hoping to bring the joy of animal interaction and the benefits of the human-animal bond to the seniors that would benefit most. 

Animal assisted activities and pet therapy have been associated with reduction of anxiety, increasing cardiovascular health (including decreased blood pressure and reduction in  cardiovascular disease risk), reduction in loneliness, and increased quality of life and life satisfaction (1). According to Karakaş and Juri (2024) “Animal-assisted therapy has shown particular promise in alleviating loneliness and depression, especially among older adults (2). By offering seniors who don’t have pets at home the chance to interact with shelter cats, they can experience the mental and physical benefits of the human-animal bond at the Humane Society of Broward County.

(1) Gee NR, Mueller MK and Curl AL (2017) Human–Animal Interaction and Older Adults: An Overview. Front. Psychol. 8:1416. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01416

(2) Karakaş, N., & Juri, J. A. (2024). Combating geriatric depression: Pet therapy’s revolutionary role and contributions to public health. Archives of Combating geriatric depression: Pet therapy’s revolutionary role and contributions to public health and Anxiety, 10(1), 052-055.