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Journal of Palliative Care & Medicine | ISSN: 2165-7386 | Volume 8
August 27-28, 2018 | Boston, USA
4
th
International Conference on
Palliative Care, Medicine and Hospice Nursing
The role of animal-assisted therapy in mental and physical functioning in older adults
Ching Wen Cheng
1
, E Kipling Webster
1
, Wei Cheng Chen
2
, Victor Molinari
2
and
Neil M Johannsen
1
1
Louisiana State University, USA
2
University of South Florida, USA
T
he worldwide geriatric population rises constantly. The care for older adults must be prioritized, especially due to aging’s
effects on degeneration and dysregulation of physical and psychological function. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a
nonpharmacological treatment that can alleviate the symptoms of aging and assist older adults functioning. The purpose of
the present review is to analyze the role of AAT in geriatric functioning by evaluating both the mental and physical outcomes
after an intervention. Seventeen relevant studies were collected from PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and International
Peer-Reviewed and Open Acess Journal for the Nursing Specialists. Subjects within these studies were above 65 years of age
regardless of the health or patients. Inclusion criteria were either psychological or physiological data on older individuals in
either institutions or the community. We further evaluated each effect and classified each into specific geriatric functioning. The
findings demonstrate that there is a consensus that AAT improves psychological function in older populations, including better
cognitive function, stabilization of mental status, and increased socialization. Additionally, AAT also benefits physiological
function in aging. Although the deterioration of organ function with aging cannot be eliminated, the potential improvements
from AAT were seen in muscle, bone, cardiovascular, pulmonary, brain, and neuronal systems. We concluded that AAT
interventions can elicit positive effects, maintaining psychological and physiological functioning as a result of improving the
quality of life of older adults.
foryvi@gmail.comJ Palliat Care Med 2018, Volume 8
DOI: 10.4172/2165-7386-C3-021