Aaien als therapie (AAT) De meerwaarde van dieren in het verpleeghuis

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has gained popularity as an intervention in nursing homes, especially as part of the philosophy to enliven living communities for the elder. This review used PubMed to evaluate the available empirical evidence of AAT in nursing homes. Eight studies were found that show a positive effect of AAT on social interaction, loneliness, mood and quality of life in cognitively unimpaired nursing home residents and positive effects on social interaction, problem behavior and nutritional intake in demented residents. Provided that hygienic and safety guidelines are followed, AAT is a valuable addition to the field of complementary therapies and a means to enhance wellbeing of both nursing home residents in general as cognitively impaired residents specifically.