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Animals and pets have been by humans ’ side for thousands of years . The therapeutic potential of animals was first recognized in the late
1800s , when Florence
Nightingale , who is considered the founder of modern nursing , made substantial discoveries regarding animal-assisted therapy ( AAT ).”
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regarding animal-assisted therapy ( AAT ). She observed that small pets helped reduce anxiety in children and adults living in psychiatric institutions . Subsequently , AAT grew as a treatment for anxiety .
During the early 1930s , Sigmund Freud , best known as “ the father of psychoanalysis ,” became a proponent of AAT when he began using his dog during psychotherapy sessions . He believed that dogs had a special sense , and he thought his dog could signal a patient ’ s level of tension by how close the dog stayed to the patient .
In the early 1960s , respected child psychotherapist Boris Levinson discovered by chance that a nonverbal 9-year-old boy began to communicate when Levinson ’ s dog sat with them during psychotherapy sessions . He proceeded to observe comparable results in other children who had difficulty communicating .
In 1989 , the Delta Society , a well-known animal education group now called Pet Partners , developed a certification program to ensure that animals are AAT proficient .
Animal-assisted activities ( AAA ), which includes AAT , continues to be used as a therapeutic intervention . Pet visitation , animal-assisted activities , and animal therapy services have shown numerous benefits when offered in healthcare facilities , including nursing homes , rehabilitation centers , and hospitals .
Types of Animals in Healthcare
Before discussing the types of animals in healthcare , it is important to outline that the Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ) is a United States ( U . S .) federal law , passed in 1990 , that established certain legal rights for persons with service animals and defined the minimum access required by law .
Service animals are specifically defined in the U . S . under the ADA as “ dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities .” The ADA has a separate provision for miniature horses if these animals satisfy the definition of a service animal . Service animals are working animals , not pets .
Examples of service animals that satisfy the ADA ’ s definition of service animal include :
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● Guide dogs ( or seeing eye dogs ) that have carefully been trained |
as a travel tool for persons who have severe visual impairments or are blind .
● Hearing ( or signal ) dogs are trained to alert a person who has significant hearing loss or who is deaf .
● Psychiatric service dogs have been trained to perform tasks that assist individuals to detect the onset of psychiatric episodes and lessen their effects .
● Sensory signal dogs or social signal dogs that are trained to assist an autistic person or their caregiver .
● Seizure response dogs that assist a person with a seizure disorder .
To determine if a dog entering a facility is a service animal , you may ask two questions :
➊ Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability ?
➋ What work or task has the dog been trained to perform ?
Staff cannot ask about the person ’ s disability , require medical documentation , require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog , or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task .
Under the ADA , state and local governments , businesses , and nonprofit organizations that serve the public must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public can go . Restricted access areas where service animals should be prohibited include :
● Invasive procedure areas where sterility is required , including operating rooms , recovery rooms , cardiac and endoscopy suites .
● Units where patients are immunocompromised or at elevated risk for infection or on transmission-based precautions .
● Food and medication prep areas where additional hygiene is required , including kitchens , infant formula prep rooms , central sterile supply , and pharmacies .
● Areas where the service animal may be harmed by exposure , for example , during radiation therapy .
Legal counsel should be consulted prior to excluding service animals from a healthcare facility .
AAA animals and their handlers are trained to provide opportunities
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for motivation , education , or recreation to enhance quality of life . Animal-assisted activities consist of visits by domestic animals and their handlers in settings like clinics , hospitals , and residential facilities . These animals are usually personal pets of the handlers and accompany their handlers to the sites they visit . AAA animals may also reside at a facility . AAA animals must meet specific criteria for health , grooming , and behavior , and their access can be restricted at the facility ’ s discretion . AAA animals are not service animals and are not covered under the ADA .
AAA animals are considered pets and are not limited to dogs . However , some literature suggests that only dogs should be used for AAA . Cats and other animals should be excluded because they cannot be trained to reliably provide safe interactions with patients in the healthcare setting .
Animal-assisted activity ( AAA ) animals and their handlers are trained to provide opportunities for motivation , education , or recreation to enhance quality of life .”
AAT , a subcategory of AAA , is a goal-directed intervention in which an animal meeting specific criteria is an integral part of the treatment process . It is delivered and directed by a certified therapist or healthcare professional and is designed to promote improvement in human physical , social , emotional , or cognitive function .
AAT is not limited to dogs , and therapy animals are considered pets . There is typically a formal training process for the animal through an organization offering certification .
Personal pet visitation is a personal pet of a patient brought into a facility specifically to interact with that patient . Pet visitation should be restricted in healthcare facilities , except for exceptional circumstances such as compassionate care reasons .
The Benefits of Animals to Patients in Healthcare Settings
One of the main goals of healthcare is to return patients to wellness
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