A PILOT RCT TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF A THERAPY DOG INTERVENTION ON LONELINESS IN HOSPITALIZED OLDER ADULTS
2024
Impact of Therapy Dogs on Loneliness in Hospitalized Older Adults
Sample size: 42
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Gee Nancy, Townsend Lisa, Friedmann Erika, Barker Sandra, Mueller Megan
Primary Institution: Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Hypothesis
Does interaction with therapy dogs reduce loneliness in hospitalized older adults?
Conclusion
Interacting with therapy dogs significantly reduces loneliness in hospitalized older adults compared to usual care.
Supporting Evidence
- Loneliness affects as many as 29% of noninstitutionalized older adults.
- Therapy dogs may provide health and wellbeing benefits.
- The study used the UCLA Loneliness Scale and an analog rating scale to assess loneliness.
Takeaway
Having a therapy dog visit can make lonely older people in the hospital feel much better.
Methodology
Older adults were randomly assigned to receive therapy dog interaction, handler-only interaction, or usual care for 20 minutes over three days, with loneliness assessed using specific scales.
Participant Demographics
Older adult medical inpatients aged 59 and above.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.004
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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