Abstract
In nursing homes animal-assisted therapy has been applied in demented elderly patients for several years. There are no studies on this treatment in hospitals, especially in geriatric departments. From September 2010 to November 2011 105 in-patients, among them 77 female, participated in a 30min dog-assisted group therapy (mean age 84,4 ± 6,56 years). The patients had cognitive and functional impairments (mean MMSE 18 points, mean Barthel Index 34,6 points). Adverse events were not observed. Thirteen patients discontinued the treatment early, due to different reasons. The psychologist, who attended the treatment, observed an improvement of mood in 58 % and an improvement in activity in 54 %. Animal assisted therapy can be safely established in a hospital among patients with cognitive impairment. The data support the hypothesis that animal assisted therapy improves mood, communication and activity in patients with cognitive impairment.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
