Pet Therapy Part V: The Elderly

Carol Kleinman — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:19:00 GMT

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 havea variety of benefits, but almost all published results areanecdotal. The authors studied the resident population in long-termcare facilities and determined whether AAT canobjectively improve loneliness.Of 62 residents, 45 met inclusion criteria for thestudy. These 45 residents were administered the Demographicand Pet History Questionnaire and the UCLALoneliness Scale. They were then randomized into threegroups (no AAT; AAT once/week; AAT three times/week)and retested near the end of the six-week study. AAT was shown to have significantlyreduced 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-assistedtherapy AAT on the agitated behaviors and social interactionsof older adults with dementia were examined. In a pilot study, 15 nursing home residents with dementia participatedin a daily AAT intervention for three weeks. Results showedstatistically significant decreases in agitated behaviors anda statistically significant increase in social interaction pretestto post-test.

The Experience of Aging, Part II - The Myths of Aging

Carol Kleinman — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:26:00 GMT

Stereotypes abound about the aging process and the experience of older adults. I thought I would share some of them and provide the counterpoint of reality.

Myth 1: To be old means to be ill.

Rates of chronic illness and disability actually do increase with chronological age. However, even with functional deficits many older adults are still able to live independently in their own homes until they reach a very advanced age. Those that do not, still maintain a high degree of independence in care facilities. Despite limitations on activity, older people adapt in many ways, for example, by relying on a cane or walker or by using a hearing aid.

Myth 2: Older people have diminished cognitive abilities and cannot learn.

It has been said that older adults lose millions of brain cells each day. However, neurobiology has shown that the human brain actually retains a high degree of functionality and the ability to learn new things even into advanced age. This means older people can make changes that will improve their lives. There is significant data showing how changes in health behavior have delayed disability and diminished the need for long-term care. We must continually provide cognitive stimulation and new information that will assist older adults in making informed decisions in later life.

Myth 3: Successful aging is based on heredity.

The Human Genome Project and other advances in genetics have clarified the role of genetics as an influence on aging and health and it is becoming clearer that genetic factors actually play a smaller role in old age than they do earlier in life. In fact, it is not genetics but social and behavioral factors within our control that play the largest role shaping health and well-being. As aging adults learn this, they are able to focus on health promotion behaviors that will improve quality and duration of health and life.

Myth 4: It is too late for the elderly person to make changes.

We now understand that adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors can provide a positive return even into old age. Quitting smoking allows human lung function to approach normal after only a few years, even for those who quit smoking in middle age or later. Implementing an exercise regime has been shown to increase muscle mass and bone density well into old age and improved eating habits have been shown to reverse or ameliorate certain medical conditions.

Myth 5: The elderly do not have much to offer society.

More and more older people are attracted by what is called "productive aging," whether by extending years of paid employment or by engaging in productive roles in their families and communities. If older people are allowed to believe they have little to contribute, they may overlook ways in which their expertise and life experience can be useful to others. As education levels rise, physical health remains more robust into the senior years, and guaranteed pension income becomes more uncertain, it is likely that many more older people will continue to work well beyond what been normal retirement age.

Clinical Corner : Alzheimer's

Pet Therapy Part V: The Elderly

The Experience of Aging, Part II - The Myths of Aging