A unique kind of therapy with animatronic companion pets is poised to improve the well-being of Broadway House residents, thanks to a program funded through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Called the Furry Friends Project, the initiative supplied Broadway House with 25 robotic companion pets to provide company for and comfort our residents. Through the program, Broadway House staff received training on the use of robotic companion pets.

A Hasbro-affiliated company called Ageless Innovation created the lifelike cats and dogs a decade ago to improve the lives of older adults through joy, human connection, and the proven power of play. Since then, peer-reviewed studies credit the Joy for All Companion Pets product line with reducing depression, anxiety, isolation, loneliness, and dementia-related symptoms, while instilling a greater sense of purpose and improving cognitive abilities, among seniors and other at-risk individuals. Today, the program has been successfully rolled out at more than 1,000 sites across the country.

Broadway House Director of Activities, Interns & Volunteers Korvette Hinton-Woods, CSW, ADC, predicts that the companion pets will improve the well-being of residents: “I believe The Furry Friends Project is essential for enhancing the quality of life for our residents. I’m excited to witness the positive effects the program will have on their moods and behaviors.”