Kangaroo brings gentle therapy to ailing seniors




IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers MAKING FRIENDS- Sergio Sol, 6, of Calabasas, feeds a handful of grass to Elliott, the 10-month-old baby red kangaroo at Silverado Senior Living in Calabasas on Monday morning.

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers MAKING FRIENDS- Sergio Sol, 6, of Calabasas, feeds a handful of grass to Elliott, the 10-month-old baby red kangaroo at Silverado Senior Living in Calabasas on Monday morning.


The Silverado Senior Living facility received a surprise visitor earlier this week- a gangly outoftowner who enjoyed visiting as much as the community residents delighted in receiving him.

Elliott, a 10monthold kangaroo, visited Calabasas from a Silverado sister community in Aspen Park, Utah.

Irv Shechter was one of the many Silverado residents, all of whom suffer from Alzheimer’s and related dementias, who enjoyed snuggling with Elliott for a photograph. Shechter pet him while cooing in his ear, and even got a kangaroo kiss while his two daughters and granddaughter, Alicia, looked on.

The Silverado community already has a reputation for being petfriendly. Veterinarian clearance is all residents need to bring their pet in to live with them. Bird cages are positioned throughout the facility, including an aviary outside.

Shechter brought in his dog, Lady, who enjoyed much attention from the visiting children- at least before Elliott came out.

“This is our home,” Shechter said with a smile as he watched his granddaughter run to the sand box and other kids come to pet his pup.

Australian music played while families horsed around on the playground or climbed the rock wall brought in for the open house Monday.

“We wanted to do this to let people know that there is nothing to be afraid of when it comes to people who have dementia,” said Rachelle Dardeau, administrator for Silverado Calabasas.

Boomerangs flew through the air and mothers and daughters competed in hula hooping. Resident Walter Hartman helped staff paint on the faces of younger guests, following their demands for colors and assuring the girls they were beautiful when done.

The Silverado staff organized the open house to invite visitation by the community, and to welcome Elliott to Calabasas.

“We love having the animals and the children, bringing the two together,” said Carolyn Coradeschi, a community ambassador for Silverado. “The kangaroo is definitely something new. It’s really neat and obviously really different.”

Noralyn Snow, head of Silverado Aspen Park, drove her daughter, Rachel Escobar, and Elliott out from Utah for a few days to share their friend with a sister community. Only 10 months old, Elliott weighs about 20 pounds and still drinks from a bottle, wears a diaper and sucks his thumb.

By the time he’s 2-1/2, Elliott could be anywhere from 5 to 9feet tall, said Escobar.

Silverado staff invited Steve Winner, one of the founders of Silverado, to speak about the benefits of bringing animals to the elderly, and why it was so important to him when building the Silverado communities.

“There are a number of great benefits to having animals in long-term-care facilities,” Winner said. “There’s a sense of responsibility, a reason to get up when it’s your turn to feed the animals or take the dog for a walk. It’s not only companionship; it’s a reminder that the residents are not the only ones that need to be taken care of. It’s important to them. They have a purpose in life.”

Pets are also a major force in combating the loneliness that dementia patients often experience.

“When you don’t remember the people around you, animals can help with those periods of loneliness and for the alleviation of boredom,” Winner said. “A dog or cat can sit on a resident’s lap when they are sad or lonely. That’s automatic companionship and unconditional love.”

At other Silverado locations, horses, llamas, goats, pigs and other animals roam the land.

“There are all types of studies that show pet therapy reduces anxiety, blood pressure and the need of psychotropic medicines,” Winner said. “Of course there are positive medical benefits, but we believe there are also tons of emotional benefits.”

Unfortunately for the seniors, Elliott’s time participating in pet therapy is nearing an end. In a couple of months, Escobar said, his hormones will kick in and he could become aggressive. At that time, Elliott will return to a kangaroo farm in Utah.

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers BOUNCING BABY- Marie Neff is delighted to meet Elliott, the baby red kangaroo, in the arms of Rachel Escobar, 14, at Silverado Senior  Living  in  Calabasas  on Monday.  Elliott,  Silverado's  pet ambassador, usually resides at Silverado's facility in Aspen Park, Utah. The three-day event, which included visits from local senior groups, day camps and elected officials, was designed to educate the community about the benefits of pet therapy.

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers BOUNCING BABY- Marie Neff is delighted to meet Elliott, the baby red kangaroo, in the arms of Rachel Escobar, 14, at Silverado Senior Living in Calabasas on Monday. Elliott, Silverado’s pet ambassador, usually resides at Silverado’s facility in Aspen Park, Utah. The three-day event, which included visits from local senior groups, day camps and elected officials, was designed to educate the community about the benefits of pet therapy.

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