It is well documented that the presence of animals, especially dogs, is both
physically and psychologically beneficial to individuals of all ages. Pets are
particularly therapeutic for the elderly or infirm, who have become socially
isolated. The purpose of this paper is to bring to the attention of
administrators of nursing care centers the many factors involved in having
resident dogs and cats in a nursing home environment -- and to discourage the
practice, where other alternatives exist.
When There Are No Alternatives --
When there are no alternatives, keeping an "in-house" dog or cat can be quite
beneficial. However, it is important to consider, from the resident's
standpoint: that everyone may not care for the animal; that the pet may pick
favorites and may not visit all who wish to see it; that unsupervised pet visits
can be the cause of accidents for those who are physically unstable; and an
owner is not always on hand, who knows the pet's nature and limitations.
The pet must be considered. To be fair to a dog, it must have one dependable
master, for leadership, consistency, and comfort. Changing staff
responsibilities for the pet is confusing. A dog, ranging free in the care
center, may eat items dropped on the floor, or may slip out the door to the
dangers of the streets.
Dogs can be unfortunate replacements for mops and vacuum cleaners, and can
become sick or die from dropped medications. Without an owner nearby, a small
pet can easily be dropped and injured. Lastly, just as with a human, a pet
deserves regular quality health care.
Considering the care center staff's standpoint: time and attention must be given
to the pet's training, quality food and fresh water, exercising the dog,
maintaining a litter box for the cat, preventing escapes, and providing
veterinary care. Regular bathing and grooming are important, and especially
difficult for some types of dogs. Poodle grooming alone costs more than $150 a
year.
If a resident dog is not working out well, it is often kept anyway. It has
become a member of the family; many residents and staff members have become
emotionally, if not wisely, attached to it; and it is always difficult to find
it a new home. Mature, well-trained dogs should be selected rather than puppies,
to avoid scratches from sharp teeth and claws -- not to mention house breaking
and other necessary training.
When There's A Community
Pet Visitation Program --
Having volunteer-pet visits arranged by a structured pet-therapy visitation
program is considered the most effective way to benefit from the human-animal
bond in nursing care centers. Most well-planned programs see that visiting pets
are carefully evaluated for selection and receive initial and periodic health
examinations. The pets and their owners receive orientation and training.
Importantly, the owners know the limitations of their own pets and, are required
to keep them on leash. Puppies and kittens are usually excluded. Volunteers are
expected to divide their visiting among all residents of the care center rather
than to only a few, as a lone resident dog might do. A resident dog usually
spends most of his time with residents who give it things it should not have.
Usually, a variety of dogs will be visiting every week, so residents will be
interested in the different shapes, sizes, and personalities. Small dogs may be
placed on the beds, whereas very large dogs will be able to walk right up the
edge of the bed where they can be seen clearly and petted easily. Most
pet-visitation programs carry liability insurance, which should give everyone
involved an additional feeling of assurance.
Unfortunate Events --
In a review of accidents involving pets in nursing homes around the country, for
insurance purposes, there were found to be very few -- mostly minor scratches
from kittens and puppies. One of the most serious was a broken hip sustained by
a resident in Wisconsin. The resident was leading the dog on leash in the
courtyard, when the leash became tangled in the lady's legs tripping her. In
this case, a court suit, the dog was a resident dog.
During the past 10 years, resident dogs have been obtained by eight nursing
homes in Scottsdale, Arizona. In one situation, the dog was barking at each
volunteer-pet team which came for weekly visits. As the dog gradually became
more disruptive, it was wisely relocated.
At another facility, their first resident dog escaped when a stranger came
through the door. It was killed by an automobile. Unfortunately, the nursing
home staff immediately obtained another. More recently, at the same facility, a
good natured and well trained visiting therapy dog was attacked by the resident
dog.
At a third nursing home, a young, but large, dog was obtained. Because of its
size and lack of training, it created many problems for visiting volunteers.
Several volunteers quit, partly because of the difficulty and partly because
they felt they were no longer needed. Although later, special arrangements were
made to have the dog put in a secured area during pet visits, but it was more
difficult to recruit volunteers for that care center. And of course, cat visits
are out of the question when a resident dog is guarding its territory.
The dog was later removed, when it growled at a Corporate representative. A
second dog was obtained, which apparently had been abused. It was easily
frightened and spent most of the time under a table far from everyone.
A resident dog was obtained for another nursing home, extremely shy and afraid
of men. Imagine an Alzheimer’s patient cornering the dog to pet it. Greater
consideration should be given to the welfare of the residents and liability to
the care center.
In Summary --
The Delta Society, in Renton, Washington, is the repository for most of the
research and information concerning the human-animal bond. It's annual
conferences have served as excellent training for staff and volunteers of
pet-visitation programs and those involved in other forms of animal therapy.
Studies have been made of several alternative forms of pet visits in nursing
homes, such as: resident dogs, volunteers visiting with dogs from local animal
shelters, and volunteers visiting with their own personal pets. The latter was
found to be the most satisfactory.
It is important that nursing facility administrators consider all factors,
including the liability involved, and avoid obtaining a resident dog,
particularly if another alternative is available. Cats may be easier to handle
and, certainly, birds and fish aquariums provide interesting diversions.
A carefully planned and well organized pet-visitation therapy program benefits
everyone -- it is beneficial, both psychologically and physiologically, to the
residents; provides a marketing asset to the nursing facility; gives the
volunteers an opportunity to provide a valuable community service; and lastly,
but not least, gives the volunteer pets the opportunity to get out into the
community regularly and enjoy the continued and important socialization they
need.
Health care centers would do well to encourage a good community program, and
consider helping it meet its funding needs.
__________________________________________________
Neal Jennings has been an active leader in pet therapy visitation programs in
Maryland, New Mexico, and Arizona for 16 years, is a member of the Delta Society
and has participated in their Conferences.
2/1/99 rev. 6/10/01
