ABSTRACT
Achtergrond: Huisdieren zijn belangrijk in het leven van thuiswonende ouderen en van degenen die langdurige thuiszorg (LTZ) ontvangen. Het doel van dit project was om de betekenis van huisdieren voor thuiswonende ouderen te verkennen en te onderzoeken of deze ook van toepassing zijn op LTZ-cliënten. Daarnaast exploreerden we mogelijke huisdiergerelateerde uitdagingen en de invloed van huisdierbezit op zorgrelaties in de LTZ. Methoden: Het project startte met een systematische kwalitatieve literatuur review gevolgd door een studie met de Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) methode en een onlinevragenlijst om de resultaten van de review in de LTZ te toetsen. LTZ-cliënten, mantelzorgers en professionele zorgverleners namen deel aan de CQR-studie en vragenlijst. De vragenlijst bevatte daarnaast open vragen over mogelijke huisdiergerelateerde uitdagingen en hun invloed op zorgrelaties in de LTZ. Resultaten: De review bevatte vijftien artikelen die achtentwintig rollen gerelateerd aan de betekenis van huisdieren beschreven, onderverdeeld in zeven categorieën. De uitkomsten van de CQR-studie en vragenlijst toonden dat huisdieren een vergelijkbare betekenis hebben voor thuiswonende ouderen en LTZ-cliënten. Deelnemers rapporteerden mogelijke uitdagingen en zowel positieve als negatieve effecten van huisdieren op zorgrelaties. Conclusies: Huisdieren hebben een vergelijkbare betekenis voor thuiswonende ouderen en LTZ-cliënten. Bovendien ervaren LTZ-cliënten mogelijke specifieke huisdiergerelateerde uitdagingen en kunnen huisdieren zorgrelaties beïnvloeden. Daarom is het noodzakelijk om rekening te houden met huisdieren in de LTZ.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Pets are important in the lives of community-dwelling older adults and of those receiving long-term care at home (LTCH). The objective of this project was to explore the significance of pets for community-dwelling older adults and if this also applies for LTCH-clients. Moreover, we investigated potential pet-related challenges and the impact of pet ownership on caregiving relationships in LTCH. METHODS: The project included a systematic qualitative literature review and a Consensual Qualitative Research method (CQR) study and an online survey to confirm the results of the review in LTCH. LTCH-clients, family caregivers, and professional caregivers participated in the CQR study and survey. The survey also included open-questions on potential pet-related challenges and their influence on caregiving relationships in LTCH. RESULTS: The review included fifteen articles describing twenty-eight themes regarding the significance of pets placed in seven categories. Outcomes of the CQR study and survey indicated similar significance of pets for community-dwelling older adults and LTCH-clients. Furthermore, participants reported potential challenges and positive and negative effects of pet ownership on caregiving relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Pets have similar significance for both community-dwelling older adults and LTCH-clients. Moreover, LTCH-clients may experience specific pet-related challenges and may positively or negatively influence caregiving relationships. Thus, it is necessary to account for pets in LTCH.
Subject(s)
Independent Living , Long-Term Care , Pets , Aged , Humans , Caregivers , Surveys and Questionnaires , AnimalsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Pets play very important roles for older adults. However, whether the same roles apply to pets of care clients receiving long-term care at home (LTCH) is unclear. This study aimed primarily to explore whether the roles of pets for LTCH-clients who own pets are comparable to the roles of pets for older adults in the general population. Furthermore, we explored potential pet-related problems that might be encountered in LTCH in practice, and the potential influences of pet ownership on caregiving relationships. These insights may help improve long-term care services in LTCH. METHODS: This project started with a study using the Consensual Qualitative Research method (CQR). We conducted semi-structured interviews based on themes from our previous review (e.g., Relational Aspects, Emotional Aspects, and Social Aspects). Secondly, an online survey was used to confirm the findings from the CQR study by calculating Content Validity Index scores (in SPSS 26) regarding contents, relevance, and clarity. The survey also included open-ended questions on potential pet-related problems and their impact on caregiving relationships for LTCH-clients, family caregivers, and professional caregivers. RESULTS: The CQR study found that the roles pets play for LTCH-clients (N = 8), family caregivers (N = 10), and professional caregivers (N = 10) were similar to the roles pets play for older adults in the general population. The online survey confirmed most of the CQR findings. In the survey, LTCH-clients (N = 4), family caregivers (N = 8), professional caregivers (N = 8), and researchers in human-animal studies and in geriatric care (N = 5) reported various potential problems that could arise from pet ownership by LTCH-clients, such as clients with deteriorating health being forced to part with their pets. Participants also reported potential positive and negative effects of pet ownership on caregiving relationships, such as pets being a nice topic of conversation, or, conversely, a source of disagreement in the LTCH context. CONCLUSIONS: The roles pets play for LTCH-clients seem comparable to the roles pets play for older adults in the general population. In addition, LTCH-clients might experience pet-related problems specific to the LTCH context. Pets may influence caregiving relationships, either positively or negatively. Therefore, instruments and guidelines are needed to account for pets in LTCH.
Subject(s)
Caregivers , Long-Term Care , Animals , Humans , Aged , Caregivers/psychology , Communication , Surveys and Questionnaires , Qualitative Research , Pets/psychologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Western countries face ageing populations and increasing numbers of older adults receiving long-term care at home (home care). Approximately 50% of households in Western countries own pets, and while pets impact the health and wellbeing of their owners, most healthcare organisations do not account for the role of pets in the lives of their clients. Due to the lack of research in older adults receiving home care that own pets, this study aimed to review previous qualitative research about the role and significance of pets for older adults in general. METHOD: PubMed and PsycINFO were systematically searched with variations on (MeSH) terms for older adults (mean age 65 years and older), pets, and qualitative study designs. Iterative-inductive thematic analyses were performed in ATLAS.ti. RESULTS: We included fifteen studies and extracted twenty-eight themes within seven categories: Relational Aspects, Reflection and Meaning, Emotional Aspects, Aspects of Caregiving, Physical Health, Social Aspects, and Bidirectional Behaviour. Older adults reported not only on positive aspects of pet ownership such as the emotional support their pets provided but also on negative aspects such as postponing personal medical treatment. CONCLUSION: Older adults perceived pets as important for their health and wellbeing. This implies that care workers may be able to improve home care by accounting for the role of pets of older adults receiving home care. Based on our findings, we suggest that community healthcare organisations develop guidelines and tools for care workers to improve care at home for clients with pets.
ABSTRACT
Guinea pigs are often involved in animal-assisted therapy (AAT) but there is little knowledge about the effects of human contact on guinea pigs involved in AAT. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of availability of a retreat, presence of conspecifics, prior experience with AAT, and human interaction on indicators of welfare in guinea pigs involved in AAT. Guinea pigs of both sexes and different ages (n=20) were assigned to a randomized, controlled within-subject trial with repeated measurements. Each guinea pig was tested in four settings: (I) therapy with retreat possibility with conspecifics, (II) therapy with retreat possibility without conspecifics, (III) therapy without retreat possibility, and (IV) setting without human interaction. We measured changes in eye temperature, as a proxy to infer stress levels, at 5-s intervals with a thermographic camera. All sessions were video recorded and the guinea pigs' behavior was coded using continuous recording and focal animal sampling. For the statistical analysis we used generalized linear mixed models, with therapy setting as a fixed effect and individual guinea pig as a random effect. We observed a temperature increase relative to baseline in settings (I) therapy with retreat with conspecifics present and (III) therapy without retreat. The percentage of time a guinea pig was petted was positively correlated with a rise in the eye temperature independent of the setting. Time spent eating was reduced in all therapy settings (I-III) compared to the setting without HAI (human animal interaction) (IV). In the setting with retreat (I), guinea pigs showed more active behaviors such as locomotive behavior or startling compared to the setting without retreat (III) and the setting without HAI (IV). When no retreat was available (III), they showed more passive behaviors, such as standing still or freezing compared to therapy with retreat (I). Based on our results we identified the behaviors "reduced eating", "increased startle" and "increased freezing" as indicators of an increased stress level. Petting the guinea pigs was correlated with a rise in the eye temperature and might be a factor which can cause stress. Our results support the suggestion that guinea pigs involved in AAT should have a retreat possibility, should have access to conspecifics, and should be given time to adapt to a new setting. In this way, stress might be reduced.
