Sponsor-a-Pet
Family testimonial
“When Dad first received his robot cat, he loved it. The cat’s purring and actions, such as the blinking of the eyes and rolling over made my dad laugh and smile. He’d tell us to watch the cat as it was getting ready to roll over. Then he’d laugh with delight. All the caregivers and Dad’s Nurse Practitioner (NP) thought it was a great idea.
Just watching the cat made everyone (including me!) smile and say ‘Ahhh, how cute!’ Given Dad’s continuing decline, especially with short-term memory issues, I truly believe the cat will become a source of soothing comfort for Dad.”
The Robotic Pet Therapy Program has been in use at Upstate since 2019. The benefits have been obvious for all, patients, healthcare providers and caregivers.
The pets go home with the patients, making this program an ongoing expense for the nursing department. By sponsoring a pet you can help Advocates for Upstate Medical supply the Nursing department with robotic cats and dogs to continue their Robotic Pet Therapy program and provide the best possible care to these patients. Every penny from your sponsorship will be used to buy pets.
So why should you sponsor a robotic pet?
Robotic Pet Therapy provides comfort and companionship to elderly Upstate patients coping with dementia. It helps alleviate loneliness, delirium, and depression. Robot cats and dogs also have been very helpful for patients with developmental disabilities.
Studies have shown that the Robotic Pet Therapy has decreased the use of psychiatric medications for elderly patients with dementia and those with developmental disabilities.
Benefits that come from using the Robotic Pets include
- The Pets are equipped to perceive and respond to the patient. The Pet has built in sensors and responds to motion and touch.
- The Pets improve quality of life by calming, soothing and promoting happiness for the patient.
- The Robotic Pet creates positive interactions with caregivers and healthcare providers. It provides a connectivity for patients who are nonverbal or have cognitive decline.
- Patients with Dementia and developmental disabilities experience social isolation and using Robotic Pets versus having to take care of a real pet can help decrease loneliness.
Just $100 makes you a robot pet sponsor
Your sponsorship entitles you to recognition by the recipient and their family and on the Advocates website and social media.
Any dollar amount donation
You can choose to donate any amount to this effort. Your donation will be used, with other donations, to purchase a pet.
And most of all, it gives you the satisfaction of knowing you are bringing comfort to patients for whom that can be hard to find.