Effect of animal-assisted therapy on engagement of rural nursing home residents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5055/ajrt.2008.0026Keywords:
animal-assisted therapy, engagement, passivityAbstract
Passivity is a major debilitating problem for nursing home residents. Reports show that anywhere from 24 to 90 percent of residents living in nursing homes exhibit passive behaviors, apathy, and functional decline due to inactivity. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has on the passivity, engagement, and mood of rural nursing home residents. Using a quasi-experimental design, researchers assigned 10 rural nursing home residents to AAT and 10 rural nursing home residents to traditional recreation therapy interventions. Each group received five, one- hour sessions during a span of six weeks. AAT was shown to significantly decrease passive behaviors and significantly improve mood. The traditional recreation therapy control group did show improvements but none were significant.References
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