Meet One of Enlivant’s Favorite House Dogs, Cupcake

Today is National Dog Day and a perfect time to celebrate our four-legged friends and the joy they bring our residents. It’s been shown that seniors who have pets have reduced stress, lower blood pressure, and increased social interaction and physical activity. Read more about the benefits of pets for seniors. Enlivant has pet-friendly assisted living communities so residents can bring their own pets from home, and in some communities, there are “house dogs” who brings joy to all the residents (and staff) in that community.

The residents of Worthington Place in Camby, Indiana are lucky to have a house dog: an adorable Shih Tzu by the name of Cupcake.  

Every morning Cupcake starts her day by greeting each and every resident. She makes sure to spend extra time with those who need her most, whether they’re ill, feeling lonely or just need a little additional attention that day. While Cupcake doesn’t have a favorite, she does have the innate ability to sense those who need her most and will spend a good amount of time with that person. This has been incredibly beneficial for those residents who find her presence comforting.

To keep residents active, Cupcake loves playing catch. She will bring her toy to a resident for them to throw so she can fetch it and bring it right back. She loves play time and this can go on for a while. This helps relieves stress and gets residents involved, as it forces them to live in the present without thinking about anything stressful. 

Having a house dog gets residents participating, active and enjoying their daily activities. When one resident wasn’t interested in getting involved in any activities on one particular day, Cupcake was brought in to see her, and that was enough to get the resident out of her room and participating. 

Cupcake is fun and active, but she also knows when it’s time to get down to business. When the concierge is on break, she takes ownership of the front desk and door, jumping up on her chair and taking watch until she returns. 

Residents look forward to seeing Cupcake every day. She is very affectionate, which is a welcomed benefit to stave off loneliness which can increase as we age. Cupcake brings so much joy to the residents of Worthington Place and helps ease depression and anxiety. 

It’s easy to see that Cupcake loves the residents just as much as they love her.