Human-Animal Research Study
The aging population is increasing at rapid rates. In the United States, between the years of 2007 and 2017, the population ages 65 and older increased from 37.8 million to 50.9 million—a 34% increase in 10 years[1], and by 2060, its’s projected that the aging population will almost double [2]. Along with this growth, there is a public health crisis in the quality of life of the ever-growing elderly population who live and receive care in nursing homes.
It’s estimated that for the approximate 1.5 million adults living in nursing homes, 22% to 40% are experiencing depressive symptoms[3]. Many studies suggest that this is due to social and environmental changes that come with moving into a care facility— isolation from established friends, families, and pets; the decrease in independence; and the loss of routine and surroundings. In order to improve symptoms, research supports that improvements should be made regarding the environment of the nursing home in order to increase well-being and psychological wellness of patients[4][5][6]. Moreover, the first line of treatment for depression in nursing home patients is psychotropic drugs[7]. When given descriptions of costs and benefits, many older adults say their preference would be for receiving psychologically-based treatments over medication[8]. One category of a non-pharmacological therapeutic treatment is animal interventions, which include animal-assisted activities and animal therapy.
The main intention of this study is to determine the effects of animal-assisted activities on well-being and stress levels in nursing home patients. In order to measure this, we will use WHO-5 Well-being Index and cortisol level measurements before and after a period of 6 weeks of visits. |
We are partnering with Dr. Ryan Earley, PhD at the University of Alabama and Dr. Margo Malone, PhD, a clinical psychologist and animal therapist in Tuscaloosa.
Organizational Improvement Research
Annually, two short surveys will be administered to all 8 nursing homes at the beginning of the school year. They will briefly assess the last year of service and asks questions for improvements for the following year. This survey is intended to be filled out by ten random residents, the Activities Director, and three other nursing home staff members that interact with the patients daily. Because we acknowledge that we are outsiders being invited into these living facilities, specifically people’s rooms and homes, we hope to get a holistic view of how the people at the nursing homes view the animal-assisted activities. Having the staff complete the form allows us to have a quick, comprehensive view of both the other staff members and the residents. In the past, residents have been honest with the staff about the animals that they enjoyed most and about which ones they cared less to see. We trust the staff to share this feedback on behalf of their patients and other members of the staff who also frequently interact with the animals. We also want to get a good number of the residents’ viewpoints because our primary focus is on working with them.
We have received activities director feedback for August 2019 and are already in the process of implementing the patients' and staffs' preferences. |