TigerPlace: Training Veterinarians about Animal Companionship for the Elderly

Johnson, Rebecca A.; Rantz, Marilyn; McKenney, Charlotte A.; Cline, Krista M. C.

doi:10.3138/jvme.35.4.511

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 8 publications

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“…McGolgan and Schofield (2007) undertook an exploratory research project in which they concluded that companion animals can improve an older person's emotional and physical wellbeing. Recent studies listed at anthrozoology.org include a focus on pets as a conduit for social capital, as they play a key part in the creation of social networks (Wood et al , 2005) and innovation in the teaching of veterinary students through a case study on the importance of the bond between older people and animal companions (Johnson et al , 2008).…”

Section: Pets and Older Peoplementioning

confidence: 99%

People, pets and care homes: a story of ambivalence

Smith

Johnson

Rolph

2011

Quality Ageing Older Adults

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the history of pet ownership and its relationship to wellbeing in later life. In particular, the paper addresses the issue of pet ownership in communal residential settings for older people both now and in the past, comparing attitudes, policies, and practices in regard to pets in the late 1950s with the early years of the twenty‐first century.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a review of the research literature on older people and companion animals, the paper draws on new data derived from recent research conducted by the authors. It compares archived material on the residential homes for older people that Peter Townsend visited in the late 1950s as part of his classic study, The Last Refuge (1962), with findings from revisiting a sample of these homes 50 years later. The authors employed the same methods as Townsend (observation together with interviews with managers and residents).FindingsThe historical dimension of the research reveals ambivalence both in the past and in present times in respect of residents' pets in care homes. Top‐down controlling regimes in the past have been replaced by concerns about health and safety and the need to strike a balance between rights, risks, and responsibilities. The variations in current policy and practice in England and Wales seem to reflect the subjective views and experiences of care home managers and proprietors. The lesson seems to be that care home owners should be expected to have an explicit policy in regard to the keeping of companion animals, but one that is not dictated by law.Originality/valueThe longitudinal data drawn on in this paper add a new perspective to research on older people and pets in care homes.

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Section: Pets and Older Peoplementioning

confidence: 99%