INTRODUCTION:
The US Census in 2000 has reported that, during the late 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century there has been a large increase in the number of elderly people living in the United States of America, which will likely result in an increased incidence of dementia. In recent years, dog-assisted therapy has been widely regarded as a generally accepted method of providing elderly residents with good feelings and an increase in self-maintenance behavior. The aim of this study is to examine the psychological and behavioral effects of dog-assisted therapy on elderly residents with dementia. I predict that dog-assisted therapy will help elderly people with dementia with their behavioral and emotional problems such as aggression, agitation and psychosis.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Several studies have examined the effects of dog ownership on people's physical and mental health. Dog ownership produces considerable health benefit and provides social support that encourages dog owners to walk (Cutt et al.2007 ). Pet owners appear to have lower systolic blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels(Anderson et al 1992). Pet owners with serious mental illness living in the community demonstrate higher social community integration(Zimalog and Krupa 2009). Socially excluded participants who performed in the presence of a dog report higher mental well-being compared with socially excluded participants who did not work in the presence of a dog (Nilüfer et al 2012). Although there is evidence suggesting that dog ownership can improve people's physical and mental health, there is little research documenting the psychological and behavioral effects of dog-assisted therapy, especially on elderly patients with dementia, who have dif...
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...an-use-pet-therapy-to-care-for-their-loved-one/ Cutt, Hayley, Billie Giles-Corti, Matthew Knuiman, Valerie Burke. “Dog Ownership, Health and PhysicalActivity:ACritical Review of the Literature.” Health & Place 13.1 (2007): 261-272.
Nilüfer Aydina,Joachim I. Kruegerb, Julia Fischera, Dana Hahna, Andreas Kastenmüllerc,
Dieter Freya, Peter Fischer “Man's Best Friend: How the Presence of a Dog Reduces Mental
Distress After Social Exclusion.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 48.1 (2012): 446-449.
Vann Madeline “How Animal Therapy Helps Dementia Patients” Everyday Health Blog, (2010).
http://www.everydayhealth.com/alzheimers/how-animal-therapy-helps-dementia-patient s.asp Zimolag, Ulrike and Terry Krupa. “Pet Ownership as a Meaningful Community Occupation for People with Serious Mental Illness.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy 63.2
(2009): 126-137.
Some medical professionals do not believe that mental health patients can benefit from therapy dogs and go as far as saying it is a risk far as to say that it is a to the patient and compromise the patients ability to take care of the dog. When people who suffer with mental health issues qualify to get a therapy dog. The mental health patient is tested to see if they are capable of taking care of the dog. Those in need of assistance should use therapy dogs frequently do to the part of the benefits to using these pets to improve mental and emotional health as and physical health. Therapy dogs are beneficial to people who suffer from mental health issues by providing companionship as well as support. Some people with mental health issues have a hard time trusting others and need someone to talk to; Service dogs are important because to make they people with mental health problems feel better and help people with these disorders deal with their emotions.
A couple of emotional problems have been tested by researchers in 2011. This study was known as the Applied Animal Behaviour Science. This was the first quantitative data made about puppy mill dogs. The research was done on more than 1,100 dogs who had averagely had a new home for about two years. The research showed “The dogs were found to have s...
There are many advantages to having a dog as a pet to help mental health. When one does not want to get up and face the day a dog can usually make them happy with their unconditional love and their need for the owner’s attention. A person’s mood is lifted when they go outside to play with their dog since the sun and fresh air wakes them up and makes them a little happier. The sun also has Vitamin D that helps with some mental and physical health issues such as; Depression, cancer, obesity, heart attacks. When one goes outside they are in nature and looking around and being in nature usually makes them calm. Taking a pet dog for a walk gets one up and about. Someone who takes their pet dog for walks gets them into a routine of going for walks or runs and it keeps them physically healthy. This also makes them
Animals have long been part of human lives serving many purposes from companionship or serve purposes in healthcare history. Pets provide a valuable companionship for older adults and help people grow up in a more secure and active life, as well as playing an important role in the health of a person. Animals provide a relationship centered and compassionate role in the healing and dying journey of their loved one and in general can be of great benefit to both the mental and overall health of an older adult. Pets can offer a variety of health benefits and improvement in quality of life for older adults such as decrease of social isolation, increase positive behaviors, distraction from pain or traumatic thoughts. Pet therapy can advance nursing profession by expanding the horizons in which
In 1961, Dr. Boris Levinson, a child psychologist, became the “accidental” pioneer for animal therapy. One day he left his dog, Jingles, alone with one of his young, uncommunicative patients. When Dr. Levinson came back, the child was smiling and talking to the dog (Altschiller 3). This just shows how quick and monumental the effect of an animal can be. He believed that therapy animals provided, “unconditional acceptance and love” and they offered “a secure and warm environment for children and other patients, increasing their ability to adapt better psychologically to other people”...
Having a dog can be a great experience for people who enjoy their company. These animals are usually friendly and active; they are intelligent and can develop a strong relationship with their owners based on love and care. However, having dogs is a big responsibility for the person who owns them, because they are animals, so they cannot support themselves. Dogs need someone who can feed them, give them love, and someone who can help them exercise. Moreover, these animals need big spaces in order to run and develop their muscles, so the owner has to know that he needs to take a walk with the dog several times a day.
Managing the behavior of dogs consists of many different ways, and two authors talked about their own methods on how to deal with them. Mark Derr explained how he disagreed with Cesar Millan’s way of handling dogs and training them with the use of physical intimidation. Concurring with Mark Derr’s way of training dogs is considered, in my opinion, the best and harmless method, unlike Cesar Millan’s way, whose method is rather aggressive and violent. However, some of the claims of both dog experts seem to be accurate in different point of views, such as how Mark Derr stated that aggression can lead to injury and death, as well as how Cesar Millan claimed that being exhausted from all day work leads to a calm sleep. Regardless, my opinion is that some of both Cesar Millan and Mark Derr’s claims are credible, and a few are considered inappropriate.
Winkler, A. et al. "The Impact of a Resident Dog on an Institution for the Elderly: Effects on Perceptions and Social Interactions." Gerontologist. 29 (1989): 216-23.
Sociologically, a dogs contribution to a human lifestyle draws attention to the understanding that dogs play a prodigious role, especially in the 21st century where they are best known for being companions. Dogs have the ability to shape a person in a particular way, whether it be positive or negative. Dog parks are the central hub for dogs to have a good time, but not only do they have a good time but the owners get a chance to interact with other dogs and their owner's. This concept seems to be quite popular in which quite a few articles have been published on the subject. Dogs play a crucial role in society which gradually enhances their owners lifestyle in several ways.
In the field of therapy, there are numerous of therapy available out there for different type of individuals and situations as well. There is one type of therapy that usually contains people and animal, it is animal-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach that brings animals and individuals with physical and/or emotional needs together to perform the therapy. Animal-assisted therapy tend to be focused on individuals either children or elderly for them to be able to connect with the animal thus feeling comfortable talking with the therapist. Pet therapy works for all ages, whether sick or not (Lanchnit, 2011). Although, this paper, most of the focus is on animal-assisted therapy towards children using dogs.
The high demands that are placed on pet owners when a dog is selected sometimes wreak havoc soon after it is introduced into the family. Dogs are high maintenance with an above average degree of time requirements that usually become a hindrance to pet owners in the early phase of ownership. The cat does not present these problems, which is part of the low maintenance advantage many pet owners seek. Dogs can have separation anxiety, use the bathroom in the home for spite when left alone for long hours, and usually requires lots of exercise which mandates the pet owner to be available during the day to provide the appropriate amount of exercise needed by
A dog can give you a constant companion, and can greatly reduce stress in your life. Pet owners often have better health, get sick less often and report having less stress than those who don't own pets. As you get older, it's important to consider your health more and more. Dogs are a great choice for seniors who feel isolated or who have recently lost a love one; the addition of a dog to your life can greatly ease the pain and suffering you may have gone through and do wonders to fill the void.
“A dog is a man’s best friend” goes much deeper than the phrase might initially imply. Recently many medical journals have begun to identify with the many and varied benefits of pet ownership. Men have always relied upon animals for work, transportation, and survival. As times have changed, man has begun to appreciate a different bond with animals. Gone are the days of animals running free outside around the homestead, for now animals are allowed inside and are considered by many to be an integral part of our daily lives! Medical studies have found that animals have a much greater intelligence level than originally thought. Through proper training and experience, animals are not only household pets, but also are becoming an accepted form of medical treatment.
I believe animals play an immense role in the health and happiness of the humans around them. Both my experiences and scientific evidence prove truth behind my belief. Ian Cook, MD, a psychiatrist and director of Depression Research and Clinic Program at UCLA, states “Pets offer an unconditional love that can be very helpful to people with depression.”
Over the last decade people have spent double what they have in the past, on their pets. Studies have shown that companion animals are have beneficial effects on people with serious illnesses and even mental illnesses. The studies even show that companion animals lower blood pressure, serum triglycerides, and cholesterol levels. Just playing with a companion animal has been shown to promote improvement of the human immune system, and neurochemicals related to bonding and relaxation. Pets have even been shown to help with the functioning of people with developmental disabilities. People with disorders such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia have also been helped by animals. The mental health field has failed to appreciate the importance of the bonds between patients and their pets. Many mental health professionals have viewed people, whose closest relationships are with pets, are socially incompetent. However, studies show that animals actually help with