Pet Therapy Part V: The Elderly
Pet therapy is often used for the treatment of the elderly. The elderly commonly face problems of loneliness and isolation. Having a pet provides a sense of companionship.
In Europe and the United States, many hospitals and long term care facilities have programs where animals, mostly dogs, visit patients at the facility or at home, a mode of therapy called canine visitation therapy. These animal visits give the patients a change in their routine and provide a sense of hope. It is also beneficial in pain management.
In the case of institutionalized Alzheimer's patients, a study found that placing an aquarium of fish in the dining area, increased the nutritional intake of Alzheimer's patients. Pets provide a general sense of well being, apart from some of the specific therapeutic services that have already been discussed. Animal therapy is gaining increasing attention from the scientific community as research continues to expand its scope.
Research Support
The research evidence supporting the efficacy of AAT is slim, though anecdotal support is extensive. Although it may not be given much credence by medical personnel as a therapy with the potential to assist the progress of the patients, some institutions do at least allow it as something that will uplift the patients or distract them from their discomforts. Below are two research studies that validate the benefits of pet therapy with the elderly.
- Banks, M.R. and Banks, W. A. (2002). The Effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Loneliness in an Elderly Population in Long-Term Care Facilities. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 57:428-432.
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is claimed to have a variety of benefits, but almost all published results are anecdotal. The authors studied the resident population in long-term care facilities and determined whether AAT can objectively improve loneliness. Of 62 residents, 45 met inclusion criteria for the study. These 45 residents were administered the Demographic and Pet History Questionnaire and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. They were then randomized into three groups (no AAT; AAT once/week; AAT three times/week) and retested near the end of the six-week study. AAT was shown to have significantly reduced loneliness scores in comparison with the no AAT group.
- Richeson, N.E. (2003). Effects of animal-assisted therapy on agitated behaviors and social interactions of older adults with dementia. American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, 18(6): 353 - 358.
The effects of a therapeutic recreation intervention using animal-assisted therapy AAT on the agitated behaviors and social interactions of older adults with dementia were examined. In a pilot study, 15 nursing home residents with dementia participated in a daily AAT intervention for three weeks. Results showed statistically significant decreases in agitated behaviors and a statistically significant increase in social interaction pretest to post-test.