Animals & elderly people

The pet connection: pets as a conduit for social capital?

anthrozoology — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:59:12 +1000

Lisa Wood, Billie Giles-Corti, Max Bulsara; School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia

Social Science and Medicine 61 (2005) 1159-1173

There is growing interest across a range of disciplines in the relationship between pets and health, with a range of therapeutic, physiological, psychological and psychosocial benefits now documented. While much of the literature has focused on the individual benefits of pet ownership, this study considered the potential health benefits that might accrue to the broader community, as encapsulated in the construct of social capital. A random survey of 339 residents from Perth, Western Australia were selected from three suburbs and interviewed by telephone. Pet ownership was found to be positively associated with some forms of social contact and interaction, and with perceptions of neighbourhood friendliness. After adjustment for demographic variables, pet owners scored higher on social capital and civic engagement scales. The results suggest that pet ownership provides potential opportunities for interactions between neighbours and that further research in this area is warranted. Social capital is another potential mechanism by which pets exert an influence on human health.

Regular dog-walking improves physical capacity in elderly patients after myocardial infarction.

anthrozoology — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:24:41 +1100

Ruzic, Alen. Miletic, Bojan. Ruzic, Tatjana. Persic, Viktor. Laskarin, Gordana.

Dog-Resident Interactions in a Japanese Retirement Home

anthrozoology — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:07:11 +1100

Koda, Naoko; Yanai, Junkichi

Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, Volume 24, Number 2, June 2011 , pp. 155-165

We observed a dog visitation program in a geriatric retirement home in Japan, to obtain quantitative data on the human-dog interactions. Seven volunteer handlers and seven adult pet dogs were divided into two groups.

Pets, depression and long-term survival in community living patients following myocardial infarction.

anthrozoology — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:46:15 +1100

Friedmann, E.; Thomas, S. A.; Son, H. S.;

Attachment to pet dogs and depression in rural older adults.

anthrozoology — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:50:46 +1000

Miltiades, H.; Shearer, J.;

Dog-resident interactions in a Japanese retirement home.

anthrozoology — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:48:56 +1000

Koda, N.; Yanai, J.;

Attachment to pet dogs and depression in rural older adults.

anthrozoology — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:33:25 +1000

Miltiades, H.; Shearer, J.

Animal-assisted therapy for clients with dementia.

anthrozoology — Fri, 13 May 2011 09:34:24 +1000

Buettner LL. Fitzsimmons S. Barba B.

COMMENTARY: Gaps in the evidence about companion animals and human health: some suggestions for progress.

anthrozoology — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:25:43 +1100

Chur-Hansen, Anna. Stern, Cindy. Winefield, Helen.

Hygiene measures for animal-assisted interventions in hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals and retirement homes

anthrozoology — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 11:12:24 +1100

Hoffmann, C.; Herr, C.; Eikmann, T.;
Umweltmedizin in Forschung und Praxis. 2010. 15: 3, 149-157

Active or passive interactions with animals in animal-assisted interventions can be of great physical (reduction of hypertension, cardiac and circulatory troubles, muscle relaxation, pain relief etc.) and psychosocial (reduction of loneliness, fear and hostility, improvement of self-confidence) benefit for patients. Since not all animal species are suitable for animal-assisted interventions, guidelines with regard to the animal species, the breed, origin, behaviour, age and the state of health should be compiled. In addition, with the primarily used animals (dogs and cats) certain basic conditions must be considered (minimum age, training etc.). Several potential risks are commonly stated as arguments against the use of therapy animals in the medical field (eg, transmission of infectious diseases, contact to ecto- and endoparasites, causing an increase of allergies).

To minimize the risk of infection, general constraints must be considered concerning the animal itself: vaccination, appropriate flea, tick and enteric parasite control program etc., the treatment rooms as well as to the staff and the patients. Especially for treatment of immunocompromised patients the general conditions have to be strictly defined. However, a general contact ban is not necessary. The requirements stated above are essentially also valid to pet keeping at retirement homes. Treatment in medical and dentist's practise can be considered a special problem and should be avoided as far as possible due to a the great number of uncertainty factors and people involved (guide dogs excepted). Once specific basic rules are considered animal supported therapy or contact to pets in health care settings does not appear to pose any greater risk to (immunocompromised) patients than would interactions with other people or the environment. Misconceptions about the transmission of infectious diseases by animals may cause families to get rid of their pets unnecessarily once new diagnoses are found. It can be much more harmful for the well-being and the health of immunocompromised patients to lose the contact with a beloved domestic animal than to potentially risk acquiring a zoonotic infection.

In order to ensure best possible legal certainty concerning animal presence in health care settings every institution should have a plan of action at the disposal of staff and patients with the therapy animal, describing measures suitable for prevention of infectious diseases, restrictions of access for the animals, i.e. to treatment rooms as well as disinfection measures in a specific hygiene plan. Furthermore the vaccinations and the treatment with topical parasiticides have to be individually documented for each animal.

Animals &amp; elderly people

The pet connection: pets as a conduit for social capital?

Regular dog-walking improves physical capacity in elderly patients after myocardial infarction.

Dog-Resident Interactions in a Japanese Retirement Home

Pets, depression and long-term survival in community living patients following myocardial infarction.

Attachment to pet dogs and depression in rural older adults.

Dog-resident interactions in a Japanese retirement home.

Attachment to pet dogs and depression in rural older adults.

Animal-assisted therapy for clients with dementia.

COMMENTARY: Gaps in the evidence about companion animals and human health: some suggestions for progress.

Hygiene measures for animal-assisted interventions in hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals and retirement homes

Animals & elderly people