Optimal Dog Visits

University of Aarhus

Status: Completed

Conditions: Aging; Dementia

Treatments: Behavioral: Encourage to engage in activity; Behavioral: Dog visit

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04635124

Optimal dog visits

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this project is to study how an the intensity of dog contact during dog visits in nursing homes can affect the immediate response to, and the general effect of the visits, and whether the residents' level of cognitive impairment affects the response and benefit of dog visits.

The participants are randomly assigned to receive one type of visits (12 visits in total) out of three possible visit types (1: visit with a dog; 2: visit with a dog, including a planned activity, 3 visit without a dog, including a planned activity). The residents received 2 visits per week for 6 weeks. The behaviour of the participants during visits is recorded. Before and after the intervention period, participants are scores on psychometric scales for cognitive impairment level, daily function level and symptoms of depression.

Enrollment: 186 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Being able to sit up during the visits

Exclusion criteria

• Dog allergy
• Fear of dogs
• Health problems that make participation unadvisable

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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186 participants in 3 patient groups

1: Dog visit with a dog, no additional activity (D)

Active Comparator group

Description:

The nursing home resident receives 12 10-minute visits in their own room. The visitor is accompanied with a dog, and the resident can touch the dog. Apart from the visitor, an observer is present.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Dog visit

2: Dog visit with an additional activity (DA)

Experimental group

Description:

The nursing home resident receives 12 10-minute visits in their own room. The visitor is accompanied with a dog, and the resident can touch the dog. During the visit, the visitor offers the resident to participate in an activity that involves interacting with the dog. Apart from the visitor, an observer is present.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Encourage to engage in activity

Behavioral: Dog visit

3: Visit without dog, with an additional activity (A)

Active Comparator group

Description:

The nursing home resident receives 12 10-minute visits in their own room. During the visit, the visitor offers the resident to participate in an activity. Apart from the visitor, an observer is present, but no dog is present..

Treatment:

Behavioral: Encourage to engage in activity