The Elderly and Animal Assisted Therapy
Humans have a very long and varied history with animals. They have been used to provide food, disposal of waste, protection and companionship for over 15,000 years (Ernst). It is not a recent development that animals have been used in therapy, yet their use will continue to grow. The benefits animal assisted therapy is especially apparent in its uses in treating the elderly; the use of animals through animal assisted therapy (AAT) in nursing homes and long term care facilities has a positive effect on the patients.
The history of animal assisted therapy begins with the domestication of the first pet dog which happened sometime thousands of years ago. These pets served obvious practical purposes (protection, …show more content…
He took note of the effect having an animal present had on his patients. Until the 60s his notes on this were lost and his contributions to animal assisted therapy were unknown. Boris Levinson is considered to be "the father of modern AAT" because of his work in the 1960s which explored the benefits of animal therapy for traumatized children (Ernst).
Today the field continues to grow and be accepted as a legitimate form of therapy, however, it is somewhat limited in practice as it "often relies on volunteers and their therapy animals" (Richeson) and access to such is often limited to institutions that would benefit from an animal therapy program (Richeson).
To properly describe why animal assisted therapy is so effective on the elderly it is necessary to define what is considered animal assisted therapy. In the broadest terms, it is the use of animals to aid in patient health. The animals used in AAT range from dolphins, horses, birds, reptiles and many more. Dogs are most common and seem to hold the most promise for use in nursing homes and long term care facilities …show more content…
This is due to the goals of each kind of therapy. For example, a certified animal assisted therapist focuses on how animals can alleviate loneliness and increase happiness (Velede, Ciprani, and Fischer). This approach is especially important for the population that lives in nursing homes and long term care facilities as loneliness is one of the most widespread issues these individuals face (Banks and Banks).
This is closely related to the goals and approaches of a therapeutic recreation specialist, who focuses on how the interaction with a pet provides fun for those involved. The goal of this kind of therapy is to engage elderly patients in an activity. It does not necessarily focus on individual mental, physical, or social goals like other therapists do. (Velede, Ciprani, and Fischer). Often, though not always, it is shorter term than other animal assisted
Humans have a very long and varied history with animals. They have been used to provide food, disposal of waste, protection and companionship for over 15,000 years (Ernst). It is not a recent development that animals have been used in therapy, yet their use will continue to grow. The benefits animal assisted therapy is especially apparent in its uses in treating the elderly; the use of animals through animal assisted therapy (AAT) in nursing homes and long term care facilities has a positive effect on the patients.
The history of animal assisted therapy begins with the domestication of the first pet dog which happened sometime thousands of years ago. These pets served obvious practical purposes (protection, …show more content…
He took note of the effect having an animal present had on his patients. Until the 60s his notes on this were lost and his contributions to animal assisted therapy were unknown. Boris Levinson is considered to be "the father of modern AAT" because of his work in the 1960s which explored the benefits of animal therapy for traumatized children (Ernst).
Today the field continues to grow and be accepted as a legitimate form of therapy, however, it is somewhat limited in practice as it "often relies on volunteers and their therapy animals" (Richeson) and access to such is often limited to institutions that would benefit from an animal therapy program (Richeson).
To properly describe why animal assisted therapy is so effective on the elderly it is necessary to define what is considered animal assisted therapy. In the broadest terms, it is the use of animals to aid in patient health. The animals used in AAT range from dolphins, horses, birds, reptiles and many more. Dogs are most common and seem to hold the most promise for use in nursing homes and long term care facilities …show more content…
This is due to the goals of each kind of therapy. For example, a certified animal assisted therapist focuses on how animals can alleviate loneliness and increase happiness (Velede, Ciprani, and Fischer). This approach is especially important for the population that lives in nursing homes and long term care facilities as loneliness is one of the most widespread issues these individuals face (Banks and Banks).
This is closely related to the goals and approaches of a therapeutic recreation specialist, who focuses on how the interaction with a pet provides fun for those involved. The goal of this kind of therapy is to engage elderly patients in an activity. It does not necessarily focus on individual mental, physical, or social goals like other therapists do. (Velede, Ciprani, and Fischer). Often, though not always, it is shorter term than other animal assisted