As is well known, animals, and especially dogs, have the ability to bring great moral and psychological support to people. For elderly people who are not self-sufficient, contact with animals is often one of the few ways of communication still possible. In the 'Duemiglia' retirement home in Piacenza, managed by Sereni Orizzonti, a meeting was held together with volunteers from the Italian Red Cross and a dog group.

In the facility's garden, five dogs, with their respective volunteers and owners, demonstrated by improvising some games and interacting with the guests and relatives present. Two puppies in particular made their way into the hearts of those present: Jolly and Bianca.

"We deeply thank the Red Cross volunteers and the head of the dog-loving group, Vittorio Gatti," explains Emilia Tramelli, director of the facility. "Thanks to them and to this afternoon in company, we have accomplished one of the educational goals we set ourselves: to encourage overcoming loneliness within the residence, to create socialisation activities among the guests and to include them with the community in which they live.

For a non-self-sufficient elderly person it is very important to be able to stroke a dog, hold it in one's lap, brush it, play with it with a ball, and be able to reward it with kibbles and cuddles. In this way, an immediate empathic contact is established that stimulates those cognitive, skill and memory skills that often tend to dry up with advancing age. The very presence of these animals triggers positive and intense emotional reactions, fostering the re-emergence of memories and a willingness to dialogue.

The 'Duemiglia' retirement home in Piacenza can accommodate elderly people with varying degrees of self-sufficiency. It is managed by Sereni Orizzonti, one of the first three groups at national level operating in the construction and management of nursing homes, with about 80 RSAs and more than 5 thousand beds in Italy and abroad.