Paws for Thought: The Importance of Dogs in a Seniors Social Intervention

Elisa Maria Concetta Papotto, Jessica Lee Oliva

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

As Australia faces an aging population with an unprecedented life expectancy, it is the community’s obligation to ensure seniors are offered resources to support their well-being. Studies investigating loneliness in aged-care facilities attest to the therapeutic properties of dogs for residents’ sense of well-being. Consequently, this study aimed to ascertain the effectiveness of a community-based dog lover’s initiative for the selfmanagement of well-being among senior citizens. Our qualitative research investigated whether community gatherings including dogs would produce greater feelings of subjective well-being among senior citizens compared to community gatherings without dogs. A conventional content analysis provided support for the supposition that dogs address some of
the unmet needs of senior citizens by increasing well-being. The multitude of benefits provided by this human-animal friendship undeniably merits inclusion as a community initiative aimed at improving both the well-being of our senior citizens and the health of the community at large. It is anticipated that these findings will inspire a new field within social gerontology dedicated to promoting the human-animal bond via community initiatives.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages15
JournalPeople and Animals
Volume2
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 2019

Keywords

  • animal-assisted therapy
  • dog
  • well-being
  • seniors
  • community

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