Date of Award
5-25-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Education (MSEd)
Department
Communication Disorders
First Advisor
Ladan Ghazi Saidi
Committee Members
Miechelle McKelvey, Kate Heelan
Keywords
agitation;animal-assisted therapy;dementia;job satisfaction;job-related stress;picture recognition
Abstract
The use of animals for therapeutic purposes has existed for centuries. However, it was not until recently that people realized the human-animal interaction has potential effects on our overall health. Human-animal interaction positively impacts humans' social, emotional, and cognitive functions (Woods et al., 2005). This research encompasses two studies. Both studies examined the therapeutic effects of an animal-assisted therapy (AAT) dog presence on communication abilities and agitation of individuals with mild to severe dementia residing in a long-term care facility. Study 1 examined agitated behaviors, communications, and social interactions of older adults with dementia living in a long-term care facility using a homemade General Health Survey (GHS), Agitated Behavioral Scale (ABS), and a Picture Recognition Activity (PRA). Study 1 showed statistically significant decreases in agitated behaviors and a statistically significant increase in social interaction and picture recognition with vs without AAT. Study 2 is a retrospective study completed on the nursing staff to examine the potential indirect effects of ATT on job satisfaction and work-related stress levels while caring for individuals with dementia in Study 1. Study 2 indicated an increase in job satisfaction and decreased job-related stress as reported by the nursing staff when working with dementia participants who had received AAT. Study 1 and Study 2 demonstrated an increase in overall communication among all five residents with dementia on days when animal-assisted therapy was present.
Recommended Citation
Woltman, Jenilee K., "Effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Communication, Agitation and General Health in Individuals with Dementia Living in Long-Term Care Facilities and the Secondary Effects on Their Caregivers." (2022). Communication Disorders Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity. 2.
https://openspaces.unk.edu/com-dis-etd/2