title: Older people's relationships with companion animals: a pilot study.
abstract: When older people enter residential care facilities, disruption to social networks may occur, with detrimental effects on health and wellbeing. This article reports on a study undertaken in an aged care facility in Melbourne, Australia, that explored the potential for a visiting companion animal programme to improve the health and wellbeing of residents and to promote their capacity for building relationships. Results back assertions in the literature that companion animals foster relationships by giving people opportunities to interact with others, but further study is needed to verify the link.
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Social Development, Faculty of Health, Medicine, Nursing and Behavioural Sciences, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Prosser
authors.forename: Mardie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Staiger
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002415:Cats; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D004285:Dogs; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006272:Health Facility Environment / Q000458:organization & administration; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria; D014789:Visitors to Patients