Abstract
Session presented on: Monday, July 22, 2013:
Purpose: This research was to develop and to evaluate a canine animal assisted therapy program in Taiwan.
Methods: Based on the concept of animal assisted therapy (AAT), this program included two stages. Based on a quasi-experimental research design, 58 elder residents with dementia in nursing homes participated in this program. Participants were divided into experimental (E group) and control group (C group) equally. 16 times of designed 'Therapeutic Dog' program was applied into E group, while regular living activity was applied into C group, during two months. The Multidimensional Observation Scale of Elderly Subjects (MOSES), Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) and the individual therapeutic goal (ITG) were used for evaluating the effectiveness of this program.
Results: The results reveal: 1) both groups had improvement in MOSES and CMAI, but no statistical significant; 2) E group had significantly improvement in the individual therapeutic goal fields of oral expression, movement, memory and socialization; 3) the best improvement held in the field of 'socialization', especially 'keeping focusing on an activity' (p<.0001), while the improvement of 'oral expression' was the second, especially 'focusing on the same topic' (p<.0001).
Conclusion: The canine AAT activities have significant benefits for dementia elders on the fields of oral expression, movement, memory and socialization, especially on keeping longer focusing on an activity, and reducing repeated negative behaviors.
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Long-Term Care, Animal-Assistant Therapy, Dementia
Recommended Citation
Yeh, Ming-Lee, "The effectiveness of using therapeutic dog program on the elderly with dementia in nursing homes of Taiwan" (2013). INRC (Congress). 75.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2013/presentations_2013/75
Conference Name
24th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Prague, Czech Republic
Conference Year
2013
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
The effectiveness of using therapeutic dog program on the elderly with dementia in nursing homes of Taiwan
Prague, Czech Republic
Session presented on: Monday, July 22, 2013:
Purpose: This research was to develop and to evaluate a canine animal assisted therapy program in Taiwan.
Methods: Based on the concept of animal assisted therapy (AAT), this program included two stages. Based on a quasi-experimental research design, 58 elder residents with dementia in nursing homes participated in this program. Participants were divided into experimental (E group) and control group (C group) equally. 16 times of designed 'Therapeutic Dog' program was applied into E group, while regular living activity was applied into C group, during two months. The Multidimensional Observation Scale of Elderly Subjects (MOSES), Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) and the individual therapeutic goal (ITG) were used for evaluating the effectiveness of this program.
Results: The results reveal: 1) both groups had improvement in MOSES and CMAI, but no statistical significant; 2) E group had significantly improvement in the individual therapeutic goal fields of oral expression, movement, memory and socialization; 3) the best improvement held in the field of 'socialization', especially 'keeping focusing on an activity' (p<.0001), while the improvement of 'oral expression' was the second, especially 'focusing on the same topic' (p<.0001).
Conclusion: The canine AAT activities have significant benefits for dementia elders on the fields of oral expression, movement, memory and socialization, especially on keeping longer focusing on an activity, and reducing repeated negative behaviors.