Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T22:22:11.709Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The experience of animal therapy in residential aged care in New Zealand: a narrative analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2020

Gemma Wong  and
Mary Breheny Open the ORCID record for Mary Breheny [Opens in a new window]
Gemma Wong
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Mary Breheny*
Affiliation:
School of Health Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Animal therapy has been shown to have both physiological and psychological benefits for older people, including improvements in outlook and social interaction. Volunteer-led animal visitation programmes are common within residential aged care facilities in New Zealand. Visits by animals and handlers are intended to improve the quality of life of people in residential care. Very little research has been conducted on the informal animal visitation programmes typical in care facilities in New Zealand. This project examined the experience of animal therapy in two residential aged care homes that receive animal visits from an animal welfare organisation. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven older people about their experiences of the programme and analysed using narrative analysis. Three overarching narratives were identified: animal therapy as a fleeting pleasure, residential care as a sad environment, and identity outside residential care as highly valued. Older people in residential care do value animal therapy, but it is narrated as a fleeting pleasure, rather than having a long-lasting or far-reaching impact on the daily experience of residential care. In some ways, the structure of the animal therapy programme may underscore the challenges to everyday autonomy and identity experienced in residential aged care. These findings can be used to develop animal visiting programmes which recognise the importance of a valued social identity in later life.

Keywords

residential aged careanimal therapynarrative analysis
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 41 , Issue 11 , November 2021 , pp. 2641 - 2659
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abel, E (1991) Who Cares for the Elderly? Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.Google Scholar
Baldwin, C (2015) Narrative ethics for narrative care. Journal of Aging Studies 34, 183–189.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Banks, MR and Banks, WA (2002) The effects of animal-assisted therapy on loneliness in an elderly population in long-term care facilities. Journals of Gerontology: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 57A, M428–M432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banks, MR and Banks, WA (2005) The effects of group and individual animal-assisted therapy on loneliness in residents of long-term care facilities. Anthrozoös 18, 396–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barker, SB and Wolen, AR (2008) The benefits of human–companion animal interaction: a review. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education 35, 487–495.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beck, AM and Katcher, AH (1984) A new look at pet-facilitated therapy. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 184, 414–421.Google Scholar
Becker, G (1997) Disrupted Lives. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berendonk, C, Blix, BH, Randall, WL, Baldwin, C and Caine, V (2017) Care as narrative practice in the context of long-term care: theoretical considerations. International Journal of Older People Nursing 12, e12156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernabei, V, De Ronchi, D, La Ferla, T, Moretti, F, Tonelli, L, Ferrari, B, Forlani, M and Atti, AR (2013) Animal-assisted interventions for elderly patients affected by dementia or psychiatric disorders: a review. Journal of Psychiatric Research 47, 762–773.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bernstein, PL, Friedmann, E and Malaspina, A (2000) Animal-assisted therapy enhances resident social interaction and initiation in long-term care facilities. Anthrozoös 13, 213–224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bohlmeijer, ET, Westerhof, GJ, Randall, W, Tromp, T and Kenyon, G (2011) Narrative foreclosure in later life: preliminary considerations for a new sensitizing concept. Journal of Aging Studies 25, 364–370.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruner, JS (1990) Acts of Meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Bush, E (2001) The use of human touch to improve the well-being of older adults. Journal of Holistic Nursing 19, 256–270.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cheek, J, Ballantyne, A, Byers, L and Quan, J (2006 a) From retirement village to residential aged care: what older people and their families say. Health and Social Care in the Community 15, 8–17.Google Scholar
Cheek, J, Ballantyne, A, Byers, L and Quan, J (2006 b) Improving the retirement village to residential aged care transition. Australian Health Review 30, 344–352.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crossley, M (2008) Narrative analysis. In Lyons, E and Coyle, A (eds), Analysing Qualitative Data in Psychology. London: Sage, pp. 131–144.Google Scholar
Dodds, S (2007) Depending on care: recognition of vulnerability and the social contribution of care provision. Bioethics 21, 500–510.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dono, JA (2005) Introducing companion animals into nursing homes. Nursing and Residential Care 7, 265–268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dookie, AL (2013) Perspectives of animal assisted activities on empowerment, self-esteem and communication with caregivers on elders in retirement homes. Activities, Adaptation and Aging 37, 189–212.Google Scholar
Eddy, J, Hart, LA and Boltz, RP (1988) The effects of service dogs on social acknowledgments of people in wheelchairs. Journal of Psychology 122, 39–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Evans, N and Gray, C (2012) The practice and ethics of animal-assisted therapy with children and young people: is it enough that we don't eat our co-workers? British Journal of Social Work 42, 600–617.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feldman, MS, Sköldberg, K, Brown, RN and Horner, D (2004) Making sense of stories: a rhetorical approach to narrative analysis. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 14, 147–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fine, AH (2000) Animals and therapists: incorporating animals in outpatient psychotherapy. In Fine, AH (ed.), Handbook on Animal-assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice, 3rd Edn. New York, NY: Academic Press, pp. 179–211.Google Scholar
Frank, AW (1991) At the Will of the Body. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.Google Scholar
Gee, NR and Galik, E (2019) Future directions for research on human–animal interaction in an aging population. Anthrozoös 32, 283–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gee, NR and Mueller, MK (2019) A systematic review of research on pet ownership and animal interactions among older adults. Anthrozoös 32, 183–207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gillick, MR (2006) The Denial of Ageing: Perpetual Youth, Eternal Life and Other Dangerous Fantasies. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Hatch, A (2007) The view from all fours: a look at an animal-assisted activity program from the animals’ perspective. Anthrozoös 20, 37–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hendy, H (1987) Effects of pet and/or people visits on nursing home residents. International Journal of Aging and Human Development 25, 279–291.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holstein, MB and Minkler, M (2003) Self, society, and the ‘new gerontology’. The Gerontologist 43, 787–796.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holstein, MB, Parks, JA and Waymack, M (2011) Ethics, Aging, and Society: The Critical Turn. New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
Holt, S, Johnson, RA, Yaglom, HD and Brenner, C (2015) Animal assisted activity with older adult retirement facility residents: the PAWSitive visits program. Activities, Adaptation and Aging 39, 267–279.Google Scholar
Iannuzzi, D and Rowan, AN (1991) Ethical issues in animal-assisted therapy programs. Anthrozoös 4, 154–163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, RA, Meadows, RL, Haubner, JS and Sevedge, K (2003) Human–animal interaction: a complementary/alternative medical (CAM) intervention for cancer patients. American Behavioral Scientist 47, 55–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaiser, L, Spence, LJ, McGavin, L, Struble, L and Keilman, L (2002) A dog and a ‘happy person’ visit nursing home residents. Western Journal of Nursing Research 24, 671–683.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kane, RA and Caplan, AL (1990) Everyday Ethics: Resolving Dilemmas in Nursing Home Life. New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
Kongable, LG, Buckwalter, KC and Stolley, JM (1989) The effects of pet therapy on the social behavior of institutionalized Alzheimer's clients. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing 3, 191–198.Google ScholarPubMed
Krause-Parello, CA, Gulick, EE and Basin, B (2019) Loneliness, depression, and physical activity in older adults: the therapeutic role of human–animal interactions. Anthrozoös 32, 239–254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kruger, KA and Serpell, JA (2006) Animal-assisted interventions in mental health: definitions and theoretical foundations. In Fine, AH (ed.), Handbook on Animal-assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, pp. 21–38.Google Scholar
Laz, C (2003) Age embodied. Journal of Aging Studies 17, 503–519.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Roux, MC and Kemp, R (2009) Effect of a companion dog on depression and anxiety levels of elderly residents in a long-term care facility. Psychogeriatrics 9, 23–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Löfqvist, C, Granbom, M, Himmelsbach, I, Iwarsson, S, Oswald, F and Haak, M (2013) Voices on relocation and aging in place in very old age – a complex and ambivalent matter. The Gerontologist 53, 919–927.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lutwack-Bloom, P, Wijewickrama, R and Smith, B (2005) Effects of pets versus people: visits with nursing home residents. Journal of Gerontological Social Work 44, 137–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marino, L (2012) Construct validity of animal assisted therapy and activities: how important is the animal in AAT? Anthrozoos 25, 139–151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mishler, EG (1986) Research Interviewing: Context and Narrative. London: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Moretti, F, De Ronchi, D, Bernabel, V, Marchetti, L, Ferrari, B, Forlani, C, Negretti, F, Sacchetti, C and Atti, AR (2011) Pet therapy in elderly patients with mental illness. Psychogeriatrics 11, 125–129.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murray, M (2000) Levels of analysis in health psychology. Journal of Health Psychology 5, 337–347.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murray, M (2008) Narrative psychology. In Smith, JA (ed.), Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods. London: Sage, pp. 111–132.Google Scholar
Nolan, M and Dellasega, C (2000) ‘I really feel I've let him down’: supporting family carers during long-term care placement for elders. Journal of Advanced Nursing 31, 759–767.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Phoenix, C and Sparkes, AC (2009) Being Fred: big stories, small stories and the accomplishment of a positive ageing identity. Qualitative Research 9, 219–236.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phoenix, C, Smith, B and Sparkes, AC (2010) Narrative analysis in aging studies: a typology for consideration. Journal of Aging Studies 24, 1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Polkinghorne, DE (1988) Narrative Knowing and the Human Sciences. Albany, NY: State University of New York.Google Scholar
Ray, R (2008) Endnotes: An Intimate Look at the End of Life. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.Google Scholar
Ricoeur, P (1984) Time and Narrative. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Silver, J (2013) Narrative psychology. In Willig, C (ed.), Introducing Qualitative Research in Psychology. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press, pp. 143–155.Google Scholar
Skultans, V (2000) Narrative illness and the body. Anthropology and Medicine 7, 513.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, B and Sparkes, A (2006) Narrative inquiry in psychology: exploring the tensions within. Qualitative Research in Psychology 3, 169–192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Somers, MR (1994) The narrative constitution of identity: a relational and network approach. Theory and Society 23, 605–649.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stenner, P, McFarquhar, T and Bowling, A (2010) Older people and ‘active ageing’: subjective aspects of ageing actively. Journal of Health Psychology 16, 467–477.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stephens, C (2011) Narrative analysis in health psychology research: personal, dialogical and social stories of health. Health Psychology Review 5, 62–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stephens, C and Breheny, M (2013) Narrative analysis in psychological research: an integrated approach to interpreting stories. Qualitative Research in Psychology 10, 14–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thodberg, K, Sørensen, LU, Christensen, JW, Poulsen, PH, Houbak, B, Damgaard, V, Keseler, I, Edwards, D and Videbech, PB (2016) Therapeutic effects of dog visits in nursing homes for the elderly. Psychogeriatrics 16, 289–297.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Fleet, R, Fine, AH, O'Callaghan, D, Mackintosh, T and Gimeno, J (2015) Application of animal-assisted interventions in professional settings: an overview of alternatives. In Fine, AH (ed.), Handbook on Animal-assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice. London: Academic Press, pp. 157–177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vortherms, RC (1991) Clinically improving communication through touch. Journal of Gerontological Nursing 17, 6–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walker, H and Paliadelis, P (2016) Older peoples’ experiences of living in a residential aged care facility in Australia. Australasian Journal on Ageing 35, E6–E10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wells, DL (2019) The state of research on human–animal relations: implications for human health. Anthrozoös 32, 169–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitler, JM (1996) Ethics of assisted autonomy in the nursing home: types of assisting among long-term care nurses. Nursing Ethics 3, 224–235.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wong, G and Breheny, M (2018) Narrative analysis in health psychology: exploring the data and shaping the analysis. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine 6, 245–261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar