Pros and cons of pet ownership in sustaining independence in community-dwelling older adults: a scoping review

Abstract

Although community services support ageing-in-place, older adults often report feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Unmet emotional needs are associated with poorer health, reduced functional abilities and increased mortality in this population. Pet ownership is an avenue worth exploring to reduce these adverse outcomes. This scoping review maps main findings and identifies key gaps with respect to the pros and cons of pet ownership in community-dwelling older adults pertaining to psycho-social, physical and functional outcomes. Scientific and grey literature published from January 2000 to July 2018 was searched. Data selection and extraction were performed by the first author and a sub-sample was co-validated by two co-authors. A total of 62 sources were included for descriptive and thematic analysis. A variety of pros (increased physical activity, wellbeing) and cons (grief, risk of falls) pertaining to psycho-social and physical outcomes were identified. Not many functional outcomes (support for daily routines) were mentioned, and few studies explored the simultaneous balance between the pros and cons of pet care. Further research exploring both clinicians’ and older pet owners’ perspectives is needed to deepen our understanding of the importance of considering companion animals in older adults’ daily lives and to strike a balance between perceived risks and benefits.

Exploring the Relationship Between Human Social Deprivation and Animal Surrender to Shelters in British Columbia, Canada

“…From a health perspective, pet ownership in adolescence has been shown to improve psychosocial development [for a review, see ( 10 )]. In seniors, pet ownership can improve loneliness, social engagement and physical activity, among other benefits [for a review, see ( 45 )]. The aging population also faces unique difficulties with pet ownership, such as being unable to bring their pet to care homes or having to find care for the pet while dealing with health issues ( 46 ).…”

Understanding the Benefits, Challenges, and the Role of Pet Ownership in the Daily Lives of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Case Study

“…Almost 20% of older adults report feelings of social isolation, which is known to adversely affect their psychological well-being and their physical health [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Human–animal interactions (HAIs) may be an avenue worth exploring to support the health and well-being of this population, as research about the positive psychological, social, and physical impacts of HAIs is promising [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Considering about one-third of community-dwelling older adults report living with at least one companion animal (CA) [ 15 ], pet ownership might play an important role in supporting aging-in-place.…”

“…Optimizing benefits while minimizing challenges will ultimately support the health and well-being of both older adults and their CAs. However, there is little research on if (and how) the potential benefits outweigh the challenges of owning a pet for community-dwelling older adults and their CAs [ 11 , 14 ].…”

“…Indeed, besides promoting independent living and safety in their homes, healthcare providers may also support pet–owner relationships. Yet, few studies have simultaneously explored the perspectives of both healthcare providers and older care recipients on the benefits, challenges, and the role of pet ownership in their daily lives [ 14 ]. Combining these perspectives could provide a comprehensive and detailed view of how pet–owner relationships may simultaneously promote healthy aging-in-place of community-dwelling older adult pet owners, as well as the well-being of their CAs.…”

What Are the Benefits of Pet Ownership and Care Among People With Mild-to-Moderate Dementia? Findings From the IDEAL programme

“…Part of living well with dementia is being able to continue activities that were enjoyed prior to diagnosis (Harding et al, 2019). Pet ownership may be one such activity and is common among the general population (Obradović et al, 2019; People's Dispensary for Sick Animals [PDSA], 2019).…”