The Role of Pet Ownership and Attachment in Older Adults

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deidre Watt ◽  
Nancy A. Pachana
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Pet Attachment ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

AbstractAustralia is preparing for a population increase in persons aged over 65 years, which will likely result in increased mental health needs for this group. Sub-clinical levels of depression, anxiety and loneliness are common in older adults. Older adults are also more likely than any other age group to live alone. Research has suggested that older adults living on their own often report companion animals as providing important social support. Thirty-two community-dwelling older adults, between 60 and 75+ years of age, took part in this study examining attachment to pets in an older cohort. Previous or current pet ownership was a requirement for inclusion in the study in order to account for possible bias of nonpet owners on reporting pets as a positive influence on wellbeing. Results found support for the psychometric properties of a relatively new attachment scale designed for older adults. Results also indicated limited support for a relationship between pet attachment and quality of life in the study group. Implications for clinical work with older adults and areas for future research are discussed.

Pros and cons of pet ownership in sustaining independence in community-dwelling older adults: a scoping review

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 2061-2076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nataša Obradović ◽  
Émilie Lagueux ◽  
Frédéric Michaud ◽  
Véronique Provencher
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Functional Outcomes ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

AbstractAlthough community services support ageing-in-place, older adults often report feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Unmet emotional needs are associated with poorer health, reduced functional abilities and increased mortality in this population. Pet ownership is an avenue worth exploring to reduce these adverse outcomes. This scoping review maps main findings and identifies key gaps with respect to the pros and cons of pet ownership in community-dwelling older adults pertaining to psycho-social, physical and functional outcomes. Scientific and grey literature published from January 2000 to July 2018 was searched. Data selection and extraction were performed by the first author and a sub-sample was co-validated by two co-authors. A total of 62 sources were included for descriptive and thematic analysis. A variety of pros (increased physical activity, wellbeing) and cons (grief, risk of falls) pertaining to psycho-social and physical outcomes were identified. Not many functional outcomes (support for daily routines) were mentioned, and few studies explored the simultaneous balance between the pros and cons of pet care. Further research exploring both clinicians’ and older pet owners’ perspectives is needed to deepen our understanding of the importance of considering companion animals in older adults’ daily lives and to strike a balance between perceived risks and benefits.

scholarly journals Pet Ownership Patterns and Successful Aging Outcomes in Community Dwelling Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Friedmann ◽  
Nancy R. Gee ◽  
Eleanor M. Simonsick ◽  
Stephanie Studenski ◽  
Barbara Resnick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Successful Aging ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Ownership Patterns

Dosage and Efficacy in Behavioral Interventions With Community Dwelling Older Adults: Lifestyle Redesign Revisited

2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482091133
Author(s):  
David Schelly ◽  
Alisha Ohl ◽  
Ramona Nadres
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Group Treatment ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Selection Effect ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Treatment ◽  
Well Elderly ◽  
Intent To Treat ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Objectives: Behavioral interventions with community dwelling older adults often utilize multiple modes of treatment, which contributes to variation in participation and high rates of nonadherence. The objective of this report was to assess the treatment efficacy of one such study. Methods: We conducted an as-treated analysis of the Well Elderly II trial, where 322 individuals underwent 6 months of individual and group treatment and participated in community outings. We utilized inferential and graphical methods to assess the relationship between treatment received and depression change. Results: Individual treatment and community outings had similar small indirect effects on depressive symptoms, but a selection effect was present for individual treatment, where individuals with high baseline depression scores were the most likely to participate. Discussion: The results provide nuance that is unavailable using intent-to-treat. Future research should expand on our methods for as-treated analyses after intent-to-treat has shown aggregate improvements.

scholarly journals Understanding the Benefits, Challenges, and the Role of Pet Ownership in the Daily Lives of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Case Study

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2628
Author(s):  
Nataša Obradović ◽  
Émilie Lagueux ◽  
Karine Latulippe ◽  
Véronique Provencher
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
Meaningful Role ◽  
Health And Well Being

Human–animal interactions may positively impact the health and well-being of older adults. Considering about one third of community-dwelling older adults report owning a pet, better understanding the benefits, challenges, and the role of pet ownership may help support the relationships between older adults and their pets. This case study aims to better understand the role of pet ownership in the daily lives of older adults and explore the benefits and the challenges of owning a pet for this population. Interviews were conducted with Violet, a 77-year-old dog owner and her healthcare provider. Qualitative data were analyzed by two evaluators and validated by the participants. Both participants agree that the benefits outweigh the challenges for both the older adult and her pet. The benefits and challenges were the following: Violet, taking care of her dog (Jack), (1) could provide Violet with a sense of safety and positively influence her mood; (2) may introduce a slight fall risk; (3) includes financial costs to consider. Ensuring Jack’s well-being is important for Violet and her dog benefits from Violet’s continual presence and care. The findings suggest that improving the fit between characteristics of the owner and their pet may support the meaningful role of pet ownership within the context of aging-in-place.

What Factors Shape Self-Reported Health Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults? A Scoping Review

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Carly Whitmore ◽  
Maureen Markle-Reid ◽  
Kathryn Fisher ◽  
Carrie McAiney ◽  
Jenny Ploeg
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Comprehensive Understanding ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Reported Health ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

ABSTRACT Self-reported health is a predictive measure of morbidity and mortality across populations. A comprehensive understanding of the factors that shape self-reported health among community-dwelling older adults, a growing population globally, is lacking. The aim of this review was to summarize the factors that are associated with self-reported health among this population and identify key areas for future research. Accordingly, we conducted a scoping review using the stage-wise framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley. We summarized 42 factors, as identified in 30 publications, and organized them into four categories. Key factors shaping self-reported health included the presence of chronic conditions and depressive symptoms. As the population of community-dwelling older adults continues to increase, there remains a need to understand how these identified factors shape self-reported health. To date, empirical research has been limited to observational and cross-sectional designs. There is a need to further explore these factors in longitudinal data.

scholarly journals Qualitative Research on the Primary Effect of Fish Pet Ownership Using the Bottleium, a Bottle-Type Aquarium, on Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Japan: A Potential Preventive Measure Towards Social Isolation

Geriatrics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Mai Takase ◽  
Ryogo Ogino ◽  
Keishiro Yoshida ◽  
Hikari Kusu ◽  
Tetsuya Kenmochi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Preventive Measure ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Suitable Alternative ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Aging increases the risk of social isolation, which could lead to conditions such as depressive mood. Pet ownership is known to reduce social isolation. However, previous studies have mainly focused on mammals as pets, which could be difficult at old age. A small ornamental fish is relatively easy to culture and might be a suitable alternative. In this research, we aimed to elucidate the possible effects of fish ownership on the psychological state of community-dwelling older adults in Japan. A Bottleium, a bottle-type aquarium, was selected to lower the burden of fish ownership. A workshop was hosted in 2019 and participants brought home their own Bottleium, with fish and water snail inside. Nineteen participants gave consent to the follow-up interview a month later. Five themes, “observation of fish and water snail,” “interaction between the fish and the owner,” “taking care of the fish as pet owner,” “facilitation of interpersonal interaction,” and “development of support system,” emerged from thematic analysis. The promotion of animal-to-human, and human-to-human interaction and development of responsibility could relate to a sense of social inclusion and ikigai-kan, a purpose of life. Fish ownership, when using equipment that suits the physical capability of older adults, could act as a positive stimulus.

scholarly journals Associations between Pet Ownership and Frailty: A Systematic Review

Geriatrics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Gotaro Kojima ◽  
Reijiro Aoyama ◽  
Yu Taniguchi
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Frailty is defined as a state of increased vulnerability due to age-related decline in reserve and function across multiple physiological systems. Increasing physical activity level is considered to be a measure to counteract frailty. Some studies have indicated that pet owners are more engaged in physical activity than non-owners. We conducted a systematic review regarding associations between pet ownerships and frailty among community-dwelling older adults and critically assessed the findings. PubMed was searched in April 2020 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for cross-sectional or prospective studies examining associations between pet ownership and frailty in community-dwelling older adults with a mean age of 60 or above. A supplementary search was done using Google Scholar. Identified articles were reviewed by two investigators independently and assessed for methodological quality. The search identified 48 studies, among which three studies (two cross-sectional and one prospective) were included in this review. These studies suggested that pet ownership may be associated with a lower risk of frailty. This systematic review found only a limited amount of relevant research. More research is needed to establish the link between pet ownership and frailty as well as healthy aging and well-being.

Branching Condition of the Color-Word Interference Test Enhances Prediction of Meta-Tasking in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Natalie E. Kurniadi ◽  
Yana Suchy ◽  
Madison Amelia Niermeyer
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Color Word ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Time To Completion ◽  
Switching Condition ◽  
Interference Test ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽  
General Cognitive Status

Abstract Objectives: Meta-tasking (MT) is an aspect of executive functioning (EF) that involves the ability to branch (i.e., to apply “if-then” rules) and to effectively interleave sub-goals of one task with sub-goals of another task. As such, MT is crucial for successful planning, coordination, and execution of multiple complex tasks in daily life. Traditional tests of EF fail to adequately measure MT. This study examined whether Condition 4 of the Color-Word Interference Test (CWIT-4; the inhibition/switching condition that requires branching) predicted MT beyond Condition 3 (CWIT-3; inhibition-only condition) and beyond other subtests from the Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) that have a switching condition. Method: Ninety-eight non-Hispanic white community-dwelling older adults completed the first four subtests of the D-KEFS and an ecologically valid measure of MT. Results: Time to completion and total errors on CWIT-4 accounted for variance in MT above and beyond CWIT-3 and beyond the switching conditions of other D-KEFS subtests. Results remained virtually unchanged when controlling for demographics and general cognitive status. Conclusions: Among older adults, CWIT-4 is more strongly associated with MT than other D-KFES tasks. Future research should examine whether CWIT-4 relates to lapses in instrumental activities of daily living among older adults above and beyond other EF tests.

scholarly journals Association between Experience of Pet Ownership and Psychological Health among Socially Isolated and Non-Isolated Older Adults

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 595
Author(s):  
Tomoko Ikeuchi ◽  
Yu Taniguchi ◽  
Takumi Abe ◽  
Satoshi Seino ◽  
Chiho Shimada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Dog Ownership ◽  
Socially Isolated ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

The psychological health effects of pet ownership have been widely studied, but only a few studies investigated its impact among socially isolated older adults. The present study aims to investigate the psychological health of older adults with or without the experience of pet (i.e., dog or cat) ownership who are socially isolated or not socially isolated. This study used cross-sectional data from 9856 community-dwelling older adults in a metropolitan area of Japan. Social and non-social isolation and type of pet ownership (i.e., dog or cat) were stratified to examine the psychological health. Logistic regression models indicated that, after adjusting for demographic and potential confounders, socially isolated older adults who never owned a dog were 1.22 times more likely to report lower psychological health in comparison to socially isolated current or past dog owners. No such difference was observed among cat owners. The results suggest that the experience of dog ownership may be effective to improve the psychological health among socially isolated older adult.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document