Animal-Assisted Therapy and Application to Older Adults in Long Term Care
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18533/journal.v4i5.717Keywords:
Animal-assisted therapy, older adults, loneliness, long term care.Abstract
In the past thirty years animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has moved beyond anecdotal status to a scientific evidence-based intervention. AAT comes in many shapes and sizes. There are a variety of animals which can be used such as dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, guinea pigs, goats, dolphins, and even fish aquariums. Loneliness is a common theme among older adults in long term care (LTC). Many older adults living in LTC facilities feel isolated. Some have little contact with family members or friends. Many describe feelings of loneliness and withdraw from social activities and interaction with others. Some feel as if they have nothing to look forward to and find no useful purpose in life. The absence of having another to care for or nurture can also be distressing. The purpose of this project was to explore the use of AAT as an intervention to decrease loneliness in residents living in a LTC setting by introducing visits from a Sphynx cat registered by the Delta Society as a therapy animal. The project sample consisted of seven participants all over the age of 60 years who resided in a LTC facility in Texas. Pre-intervention and post-intervention checklists and open-ended questions were employed to collect data from participants. Analysis of the project findings revealed a notable decrease in loneliness.
References
Abramowitz, L. (2000). Pet therapy for the elderly. Retrieved on February 14, 2009 from http://www.wholefamily.com/about60plus/caregiving/pet_therapy.html.
Banks, M., & Banks, W. (2005). The effects of group and individual animal-assisted therapy on loneliness in residents of long-term care facilities. Anthrozoos, 18(4), 396-408.
Banks, W. (2006). Man’s best friend: Study shows lonely seniors prefer playtime with pooch over human interaction. Retrieved on February 15, 2009 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases.
Behling, R., Haefner, J. & Stowe, M. (2011). Animal programs and animal-assisted therapy in illinois long term care facilities twenty years later (1990-2010). Academy of Health care Management Journal, 7(2), 109(9).
Bloom, P., Wijewickrama, R., & Smith, B. (2005). Effects of pets versus people visits with nursing home residents. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 44, 137-159.
Brickel, C. (1979). The therapeutic roles of cat mascots with a hospital based geriatric population: A staff survey. Gerontologist 19:368-371.
Brodie, S. & Biley, F. (1999). An exploration of the potential benefits of pet-facilitated therapy. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 8(4), 329-337.
Calvert, M. (1989). Human-pet interaction and loneliness: A test of concepts from Roy’s Adaptation model. Nursing Science Quarterly, 2(24): 194-202.
Cherniack, E. & Cherniack, A. (2014). The benefit of pets and animal-assisted therapy to the health of older individuals. Retrieved May 10, 2015 from http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/623202.
Delta Society Interactions, the human-animal bond (2008, Fall). Copy Editor, 26, 1-31.
Donaldson, J. & Watson, R. (1996). Loneliness in elderly people: An important area for nursing research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 10(24), 952-959.
Ernst, L. (2014). Animal-assisted therapy: an exploration of its history, healing benefits, and how skilled nursing facilities can set up programs. Retrieved on May 10, 2015 from http://www.annalsoflongtermcare.com/print/2579.
Fick, K. (1992). The influence of an animal on social interactions of nursing home residents. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 10, 529-534.
Grado, E. (2011). Dr. fluffy: an in-depth look at animal-assisted therapy. Exceptional Parent, 41(5), 12-13.
Herzog, H. (2011). The impact of pets on human health and psychological well-being: fact, fiction or hypothesis? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(4), 236-239.
Holloway, L. (2008). Natural therapeutic interaction between humans and animals. Retrieved on October 25, 2008 from http://healthfieldmedicare. suite101.com/article.cfm/pettherapy.
Hooker, S., Freeman, L., & Stewart, P. (2002). Pet therapy research: A historical review. Holistic Nursing Practice, 17(1), 17-23.
Jorgenson, J. (1997). Therapeutic use of companion animals in health care. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 29(3), 249-254.
Kawamura, N., Niiyama, M., & Niiyama, H. (2007). Long-term evaluation of animal-assisted therapy for institutionalized elderly people: a preliminary report. Japanese Psychogeriatric Society, 7, 8-13.
Lipsey, M. & Wilson, D. (2001). Practical meta-analysis. London: Sage Publications.
Lubbe, C. & Scholtz, S. (2013). The application of animal-assisted therapy in the South African context: a case study. South African Journal of Psychology, 43(1), 116-129.
Marano, N. (2008, Summer). Petroglyphs and therapy cats. Retrieved on February 14, 2009 from http://www.petroglyphsnm.org/catchats/therapy_cats.html.
Nightingale, F. (1859). Notes on Nursing. Retrieved on February 7, 2010 from http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/nightingale/nursing/nursing.html.
Nimer, J., & Lundahl, B. (2007). Animal-assisted therapy: A meta-analysis. Anthrozoos, 20(3), 225-238.
Ormerod, E. (2005). Companion animals. Working with Older People, 9(3), 23-27.
Paws and Purrs, Inc. (2008). Pet therapy – healing, recovery and love. Retrieved on October 25, 2008, from http://www.sniksnak.com/therapy.html.
Prosser, L., Townsend, M., & Staiger, P. (2008). Older people’s relationships with companion animals: A pilot study. Nursing Older People, 20(3), 29-32.
Routasalo, P. & Pitkala, K. (2003). Loneliness among older people. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 13, 303-311.
Souter, M. & Miller, M. (2007). Do animal-assisted activities effectively treat depression? A meta-analysis. Anthrozoos, 20(2), 167-180.
Stang, D. (2002). Pet therapy: animal therapy for alzheimers and other elderly patients. Retrieved on October 25, 2008 from http://www.essortment.com/lifestyle/pettherapyanim_sglr.htm.
Stern, C. & Chur-Hansen, A. (2013). Methodological considerations in designing and evaluating animal-assisted interventions. Animals, 3, 127-141.doi: 10.3390/ani3010127.
Stevens, K. (2004). ACE: Learn about EBP. Retrieved on March 26, 2009 from http://www.acestar.uthscsa.edu.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
