Articles
Therapeutic Effects of Interacting with Animals
Print
Email
Comments (4)
Where humans and traditional medicine sometimes fail, animals often succeed in cutting through the physical and emotional barriers that isolate certain people in our society. This is especially true for residents of nursing homes and those with Alzheimer's and/or dementia. Studies have found that simply having an animal present or visiting a long-term care facility can provide multiple health benefits to residents. Some skilled nursing facility residents have shown increased communication, decreased anxiety, lower heart rates, and a decrease in depression following interactions with animals. Alzheimer's patients who often experience behavior disorders such as agitation and aggression have exhibited fewer episodes of verbal outbursts and anxiety and increased positive socialization when a therapy dog was present.
Who are these special animals, and how does animal assisted therapy (AAT) work? Organizations like Delta Society provide animal therapy services to long-term care facilities for either volunteers or on-staff health care professionals to implement. Dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits and even cats owned either by a volunteer or the organization in question are used to provide these social, motivational and recreational opportunities for seniors. In addition, these animals offer health care professionals a therapeutic treatment tool to incorporate into specific patient treatment plans. Before considering instituting any AAT program, a facility should go through a site assessment to determine what types of AAT programs would be appropriate for a specific patient population.
The cost-effectiveness of an AAT approach can yield real clinical outcomes. The problem is too many health care providers are unaware of the tremendous healing potential of animals and lack the proper information and training to incorporate animals into their care and treatment plans.
Posted in: Alzheimers & Dementia Care, Holistic Health, How-to's, Senior Health, Therapy, Tips for Healthy Living
| Answer a few questions and get a detailed, personalized action plan. |
|
Animal therapy is a wonderful complement to programs in place for seniors. But, to safeguard the health and welfare of all participating people and animals, each facility receiving services must establish and clearly document its own set of AAA/AAT policies and procedures in addition to risk management plans.
Animals are a god send in these types of situations. I’ve read that even introducing aquariums in the dining rooms of nursing homes has resulted in increased weight gain among the residents. And, just watching an aquarium has reportedly reduced blood pressure levels for certain people.
[…] With each wag of a dog’s tail, we’re learning more and more about the benefits of having animals around—therapeutic and otherwise. We’ve heard the buzz—animals can make a healthy difference in the lives of those who associate with them. In The Healing Touch of Animals, I introduced some of the benefits seniors reap when in the company of animals. Studies have found that simply having an animal present or visiting a long-term care facility can provide multiple health benefits to residents. Some skilled nursing facility residents have shown increased communication, decreased anxiety, lower heart rates, and a decrease in depression following interactions with animals. Patients with Alzheimer’s who often become agitated and aggressive have exhibited fewer episodes of verbal outbursts and anxiety and increased positive socialization when a therapy dog was present. […]
[…] The Green House Project, initiated in 2002, adheres to the Eden Alternative—a care philosophy based on ten principles for minimizing feelings of loneliness, helplessness and boredom—all of which are prevalent in traditional nursing home settings. According to the Eden Alternative, the foundation of a meaningful life is based on: respect for wisdom acquired with age; being around children, animals and plants; variety and spontaneity; growth as an essential aspect of life; and “genuine human caring” at the heart of medical treatment. Dr. Bill Thomas, founder of the Eden Alternative and a Harvard-educated gerontologist, helped develop The Green House program. It was first implemented to deinstitutionalize long-term care by Mississippi Methodist Senior Services in Tupelo, Mississippi. A Green House houses ten residents with a common living room and a large, open kitchen at its core, where all meals are cooked and eaten. Current Green Houses are situated within existing senior communities, but the goal is to integrate the houses with others on residential streets. Green House residents receive clinical care through a team of visiting physicians, which helps keep their focus on life, not medical treatment. Green House training teaches the caregivers to let residents make their own decisions. Couple that with the homelike atmosphere, and not only is the environment deinstitutionalized, the residents maintain their sense of dignity, autonomy and vigor. […]