Animal-Assisted Therapy and Nutrition in Alzheimers DiseasePurdue University, School of Nursing
Purdue University, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology This study examined the influence of animal-assisted therapy, specifically fish aquariums, on nutritional intake in individuals with Alzheimers disease (AD). Sixty-two individuals with AD who lived in specialized units were studied. Baseline nutritional data were obtained followed by a 2-week treatment period when the aquariums were introduced. The treatment data were collected daily for 2 weeks then weekly for 6 weeks. Nutritional intake increased significantly (21.1%; p < .001) when the aquariums were introduced and continued to increase during the 6-week weekly follow-up. Weight increased significantly(1.65 lbs; p < .001) over the 16-week period. In addition, participants required less nutritional supplementation, resulting in health care cost savings.
Western Journal of Nursing Research, Vol. 24, No. 6,
697-712 (2002) This article has been cited by other articles:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||


