Animal Assisted Activity with Older Adult Retirement Facility Residents: The PAWSitive Visits Program

Abstract

Animal assisted activity (AAA) programs offer widespread physiological, social, and emotional benefits to recipient populations, particularly older adults. While AAA is common in nursing homes, it is less common in retirement residences where individuals are often suffering from the stress of relocating and transitioning to a more dependent lifestyle. PAWSitive Visits (PV) is a weekly AAA visitation program conducted in a group-setting at a Midwestern retirement residence that brings an array of domestic and exotic animal species for the residents to interact with. PV strives to provide educational opportunities for the residents, facilitating their social engagement, eliciting memories of previously owned pets, and offering intergenerational activities. It also provides meaningful learning experiences for students (e.g., nursing and veterinary medical students) who affiliate with the program. The conceptual model for PV is the threefold notion of attachment, reciprocity, and unconditional acceptance that animals offer older adults. PV is a unique and successful program, coordinated in a manner that ensures the health and safety of both animal and human counterparts, while providing residents with experiences that enhance their well-being.