The therapeutic potential of companion animals

Abstract

Nursing and residential care settings can acknowledge the value of contact with companion animals to older people by making simple provisions for this in their policies and procedures.

Liminality in Ontario’s long-term care facilities: Private companions’ care work in the space ‘betwixt and between’

“…In summary, the theoretical care work literature requires refinement to accommodate private companion’s place in the care of older adults, particularly within publicly funded institutional care; as well there are few empirical studies that directly examine private companions working in LTCF or that identify the complex interplay of relations between facility staff and management, family, residents, companions, volunteers and students. Ironically, a literature review of private companions yields more studies focused on animal companions (see Dono, 2005 ; Katsinas, 2000 ; Le Roux and Kemp, 2009 ; Prosser et al., 2008 ; Reynolds, 2006 ) or robot companions (see Robinson et al., 2013 ; Sharkey and Sharkey, 2012 ) than people.…”

Fur, Fin, and Feather: Management of Animal Interactions in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities

“…Those who cannot pay the extra fees and/or have a pet deemed unsuitable, due to size or facility rules, are faced with the difficult decision of what to do with their pets when they enter care. As a result, older pet owners may avoid seeking healthcare and delaying or refusing entry to RACF for fear of leaving their pet, who might face re-homing or euthanasia [ 60 , 61 ]. For those who can take their pets with them to RACF, managers identified the problem of pets whose owner predeceases them, with these issues presented as one of the reasons resident-owned animals were not permitted.…”

Petmanship: Understanding Elderly Filipinos' Self-Perceived Health and Self-Esteem Captured from their Lived Experiences with Pet Companions

“…This sense of security appears to have a calming effect that often enables people to make sense of what is happening to them and to recognize that some situations are manageable (Mckenzie et al, 2007). Pets enhance feelings of personal security (Reynolds, 2006) for their respective owners, particularly if they own dogs as pets because dogs are known to be protective of their owners' homes and their families. The elderly respondents felt secure every time they were with their pets because they felt assured that their companion animals would be always there for them no matter what.…”

“…This relationship as described by Baun and McCabe (2003) is a kind of bond characterized by friendship, affection and companionship. The bond is said to have psychological and physiological effects on the body (Reynolds, 2006).…”