Maintaining affectional bonds: The significance and meaning of companion animals for pet owners living in homes for older people

Abstract

Companion animals have been found to promote well-being in older people by an increasing number of researchers. However, few and limited theoretical explanations for why and how these benefits occur have been developed. By investigating the significance and meaning of companion animals for pet owners living in homes for older people the aim of this research was to explore the consequences for pet owners of living with companion animals in homes for older people and develop a theoretical model to explain the role of the human-animal bond in a specific context. An initial theoretical model describing how this context shapes the significance and meaning of the human-animal relationship was developed using a grounded theory approach. Data from nine interviews with pet owners, seven interviews with managers and observations showed that companion animals help to ameliorate the losses associated with living in homes for older people by enabling their owners to maintain affectional bonds. Pet owners’ understanding of the relative importance of animals, pet characteristics and features of human-animal relationships influenced the degree to which companion animals could enable their owners to maintain affectional bonds. These results are discussed in relation to theoretical understandings of the human-animal bond.