Pet Therapy: Enhancing Social and Cardiovascular Wellness in Community Dwelling Older Adults

Cheryl A. Krause-Parello, John Kolassa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Pet therapy can be therapeutic for older adults living in the community. A crossover design was used to examine changes in blood pressure and heart rate before and after a pet therapy visit versus a volunteer-only visit in 28 community dwelling older adults. Relationships among stress, pet attitude, social support, and health status were also examined. Study findings supported that pet therapy significantly decreased blood pressure and heart rate. Ultimately, the findings supported the notion that community health nurses should consider developing and implementing pet therapy programs in the communities they serve. Further implications for community health nurses are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1-10
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Community Health Nursing
Volume33
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Community and Home Care
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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