Fur, Fin, and Feather: Management of Animal Interactions in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities

Wendy Newton; Tania Signal; Jenni A Judd

doi:10.3390/ani12243591

Fur, Fin, and Feather: Management of Animal Interactions in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities

Animals (Basel). 2022 Dec 19;12(24):3591. doi: 10.3390/ani12243591.

Authors

Wendy Newton¹, Tania Signal², Jenni A Judd³

Affiliations

¹ School of Health, Medical & Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, 6 University Drive, Bundaberg, QLD 4670, Australia.
² School of Health, Medical & Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Building 6, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, QLD 4702, Australia.
³ Research Division, Central Queensland University, 6 University Drive, Bundaberg, QLD 4670, Australia.

Abstract

Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) have been occurring in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) for more than 40 years and may relieve loneliness and improve quality of life. The presence of animals in RACF poses an inherent risk to residents and the animals involved. Little is known about the policies and guidelines for including animals in the Australian RACF. We anticipated that most RACFs would have some policies, but they may lack the detail necessary to keep humans and animals safe. Using an adapted survey, we surveyed and interviewed a small but representative sample of Australian RACF managers. The results demonstrated that RACF did have animal policies; however, the content regarding the need for hand washing, infection prevention, and animal welfare was lacking. Including unregulated family pets in RACF was an unexpected additional risk factor identified during data analysis. There is a need for national guidelines tied to the national aged care policy, which includes training and educational resources for RACF and AAI providers.

Keywords: animal-assisted activities; animal-assisted intervention; long-term care facility; nursing home; pet therapy; policy; visitation animals.

Grants and funding

Wendy Newton’s RHD candidature is supported under the Commonwealth Government’s Research Training Program/Research Training Scheme. I gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Australian Government. Jenni Judd and Tania Signal received no external funding for this project.