Document Type

Poster

Associated Faculty

Dr. Valerie Herbert

Sponsoring Academic Department

School of Nursing

Publication Date

2024

Abstract/ Summary

Agitation and mood disturbances are common behavioral symptoms in patients with dementia living in residential care facilities (RCF), significantly impacting their quality of life and increasing caregiver burden. Various non-pharmacological interventions have been explored to alleviate these symptoms, with canine-assisted therapy (CAT) gaining attention as a potential therapeutic option. This research poses the question: In patients with dementia, does canine-assisted therapy improve agitation and overall mood in comparison to non-canine-assisted therapy? A literature review was conducted on CINAHL, PubMed, and BMC Psychiatry using the following search terms: animal-assisted therapy, canine-assisted therapy, dog therapy, agitation, dementia, quality of life, benefits, pet therapy, and Alzheimer's. Articles that did not discuss the reduction of agitation and overall mood in dementia patients in RCF were excluded. A total of 10 articles met the inclusion criteria. Findings suggest that patients who received CAT significantly reduced agitation and improved overall mood compared to patients in the control group who used non-canine therapies such as stuffed animals, cats, robotic pets, or no dogs. Limitations of this review include limited ethical and practical challenges such as access to therapy dogs or consistency in animal behavior that affects the quality of therapy. Based on the findings, there is strong support that CAT is a promising non-pharmacological intervention for managing agitation and improving overall mood in patients with dementia. Further studies need to be conducted to see the long-term effects of CAT and the frequency and duration of the therapy on the increasing population of dementia patients.

Version

pre-print (i.e. pre-refereeing)

Additional Files
Abstract- Canine Assisted Therapy.pdf (173 kB)
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