Pet Therapy Training Manual, Research Paper Example

Why Do a Pet Therapy in-Service Training?

Bringing companion animals into a nursing home can provide medical and emotional benefits to residents of the program.  Pet therapy visits require that staff understand the purpose and utility of these visits as well as the appropriate guidelines for proper management of these visits.

What Is Pet Therapy?

Pet therapy in the context of a nursing home is the practice of bringing specially trained companion animals and their volunteer handlers into the facility on a regular basis to interact with specific, pre-approved patients.  An alternative form of pet therapy is that of bringing a companion animal into the home as a permanent resident, available to interact with patients throughout the week.  This involves a commitment on the part of the staff for the ongoing care and medical treatment of the animal.  For the purposes of this manual, the term pet therapy will refer only to the weekly visits from trained pet handlers and their companion animals.

Presentation Method for in-Service Training

Proper presentation of this in-service training should include a scheduled visit from a registered pet therapy team during the program. While most of the information can be presented in a group discussion, a demonstration of a “typical” pet therapy visit is important so the staff can practice the process of introducing a pet therapy visit to the patients in a nursing home.  It may also be useful to play a brief (5 minute) YouTube video in the training program; this video discusses therapeutic recreation and animal assisted therapy; the video is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HVNAIrBQAg&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

A Pet Therapy in-Service Training Program

Rationale for Pet Therapy in Nursing Homes

Pet therapy has been demonstrated in studies to have significant health benefits, including lowered anxiety levels, reduced blood pressure and heart rate, increased cheerfulness and reduced feelings of loneliness, easing depression, improved communications, encouraging physical activity, and emotional support (Sabourin, 2004, Nimer & Lundahl, 2007, Souter & Miller, 2007).  These beneficial effects provide improved quality of life for nursing home residents.  . Further information about pet therapy benefits can be found in the references list at the end of this manual.

Implementation of a Pet Therapy Program

Written guidelines for implementing a pet therapy program should be developed and adhered to rigorously. Appropriate guidelines include:

1. Gain patient approval of participation in the program, with particular attention to any medical history of allergies. Determine which patients are interested in participating in a pet therapy program (Dono, 2005).
2. Make a careful selection of the animals and their handlers who are chosen to participate. The human/pet team should show proof of registration from a source such as the ASPCA or the Delta Society (preferred). The pet therapy team should carry liability insurance; if certified by the Delta Society, this is available to all who complete the registration training process. (Delta Society, 2011). This registration program includes training for the handlers in appropriate hygiene for both handler and  pets as well as  requiring regular veterinarian checks of the animal to ensure its good health, and that it is current with vaccinations.
3. Birds should not be used as pet therapy animals in nursing homes due to the potential of avian flu. Animals fed a raw protein diet are not eligible for pet therapy programs (Hooker, Freeman, & Stewart, 2002).
4. All staff and patients should exercise appropriate hand-washing and other hygiene practices after coming into contact with the pet (Hooker et al., 2002).
5. If possible have a local veterinarian available to consult regarding zoonosis issues, since many physicians do not have experience with animal transmission of pathogens (Hooker et al., 2002).
6. Begin small, with one-hour weekly visits from a specific pet therapy pair (Dono, 2005).

Potential concerns about pet therapy include:

• Possible allergic reactions, particularly with cats. Allergic reactions are specific to the patient, and the solution to this problem is to not have that person participate in the program. It is possible, however, that a patient allergic to cats may not have a dog allergy, or may be able to tolerate guinea pigs or hamsters.
• Concerns over zoonosis (transmission of pathogens between pets and people). Concerns over zoonosis can be mitigated with veterinary clearance for the pet, proper attention to hygiene on the part of pet therapy pair, and on the part of patients and staff members. Pet therapy programs have proven to be quite safe when properly implemented.  A study the risks involved in pet therapy visits concluded that following simple guidelines of hygiene and ensuring proper veterinary care of the animal can  reduce risks “to minimal levels” (Brodie, Biley,  & Shewring 2002, p. 454)
• Concerns over poor animal behavior (i.e., biting, scratching). Animal behavioral problems can be minimized using properly trained and registered pet therapy pairs.
• Increased workloads for the staff. Increased workloads turn out to be not a problem; nursing home staff report that their workload is actually lessened because residents tend to be focused on the animals and thus are less demanding of the staff’s time and attention (Dono, 2005).

Qualifications of Implementers

The pet therapy pairs should be registered with the Delta Society or with the ASPCA (an affiliate of the Delta Society). This provides them with training on pet therapy visits, necessary hygiene and veterinary clearances, and includes liability insurance coverage for pet therapy visits.

Expected Outcome of Pet Therapy

The expected outcome of a pet therapy program will be improved patient mental and emotional health, possible improved communications, and greater interaction with staff and other residents.  A long-term study of animal-assisted therapy in nursing home residents demonstrated improved mental functioning in the first 6 months; it is suggested that participants be reevaluated for participation in the program every six months (Kawamura, Niiyama, & Niiyama, 2007)

Improving Patient Quality of Care With Pet Therapy

Pet therapy has the potential to significantly improve the quality of care for patients in long-term nursing home environments.

Evaluating the Success of Pet Therapy (5 to 6 Measures)

The success of the pet therapy program can be measured in several ways, including measures identified in a meta-analysis of pet therapy programs (Nimer & Lundahl, 2007):

• Patient requests to continue with or be included in pet therapy visits.
• Measurements of patient self-reported satisfaction with pet therapy visits.
• Blood pressure and heart rate measurements immediately before and after pet therapy visits.
• Staff reports of increases (or decreases) in social interaction skills among patients participating in pet therapy visits.
• Staff reports of increases (or decreases) in emotional well being among patients participating in pet therapy visits.
• Staff reports of behavioral changes (such as changes in levels of compliance with rules, verbal resistance, aggression, etc.) of patients participating in pet therapy visits.

Feasibility of Pet Therapy

The feasibility of pet therapy is limited only by (a) the availability of properly trained and registered pet therapy teams; (b) the willingness of the staff and administration to implement the program.

Pet Therapy Compared to Therapeutic Recreation

Therapeutic recreation uses recreational activities as part of a therapeutic process, including art, music, play, and many other types of activities.  Thus animal-assisted therapy  or pet therapy is a specific type of therapeutic recreation that uses animals as a key to integrate the patient into the activity.

For more information on pet therapy, see the references section that follows.

References

Abdil, M. N. & Juppe, D. (Eds.). (1997). Pets in Therapy. Ravensdale WA: Idyll Arbor, Inc.

Brodie, S. J., Biley, F. C. Shewring, M. (2002). An exploration of the potential risks associated with using pet therapy in healthcare settings. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 11 (4), 444-456.

Cangelosi, P. R., Sorrell, J. M. (2010). Walking for therapy with man’s best friend. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services, 48 (3), 19-22.

Delta Society. (2011). Pet Partners program. Website. Available at: http://www.deltasociety.org/Page.aspx?pid=259

Dono, J. (2005). Introducing companion animals into nursing homes. Nursing and Residential Care, 7 (6), 265-268.

Hooker, S.D., Freeman, L.H., Stewart, P. (2002). Pet therapy research: A historical review. Holistic Nursing Practice, 16 (5), 17-23.

Kawamura, N., Niiyama, M., Niiyam, H. (2007). Long-term evaluation of animal-assisted therapy for institutionalized elderly people: a preliminary result. Psychogeriatrics, 7 (1), 8-13.

Keith, D. R., (2004). Pet therapy. Alive: Canada’s Natural Health & Wellness Magazine,Sep. 2004 (263), 144-145.

Kramer, S. C., Friedmann, E., Bernstein, P. L. (2009). Comparison of the effect of human interaction, animal-assisted therapy, and AIBO-assisted therapy on long-term care residents with dementia. Anthrozoos, 22 (1), 43-57.

Nimer, J., Lundahl, B. (2007). Animal-assisted therapy: A meta-analysis. Anthrozoos, 20 (3), 225-238.

Phelps, K. A., Miltenberger, R. G., Jens, T., Wadeson, H. (2008). An investigation of the effects of dog visits on depression, mood, and social interaction in elderly individuals living in a nursing home. Behavioral Interventions, 23 (3), 181-200.

Souter, M. A., Miller, M. D. (2007). Do animal-assisted activities effectively treat depression? A meta-analysis. Anthrozoos, 20 (2), 167-180.