CHAPTER 7 - The Art of Animal Selection for Animal-Assisted Activity and Therapy Programs

Abstract

Publisher Summary Many institutions for the elderly have resident pets, and many have regular pet visitation programs. While many studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of contact with pets for a variety of persons, including the elderly, the long-term effects of resident pets and pet visitation programs have not been examined. Nonetheless, the idea of bringing pets into contact with institutionalized elderly has become quite popular in the United States and elsewhere. There is no doubt that the presence of pets in a setting such as a nursing home, where one ordinarily does not expect to see them, provides a source of distraction and novelty. All one has to do is witness the attention a dog gets as it walks into a unit. Residents, staff, and visitors descend on the dog almost like it is a magnet. Yet, the question that remains to be answered is what the long-term effects of contact with a companion animal for the institutionalized elderly are. Distraction from one's ordinary daily life in a nursing home is not without merit. Also, pets provide a source of affectionate physical contact that often is lacking in an institutional setting. Perhaps these effects are enough to justify the cost of maintaining these programs. There are important areas to consider in instituting an animal-assisted therapy program.