Elderly people in many respects benefit from interaction with dogs
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december 2, 2011 Eur J Med Res (2011) 16: 557-563
557 © I. Holzapfel Publishers 2011
EldERly PEoPlE In Many REsPEcts BEnEfIt fRoM IntERactIon wItH d ogs R. scheibeck, M. Pallauf, c. stellwag, B. seeberger UMIt – Private University of Health sciences, Medical Informatics and technology, Institute of gerontology and demographic development, Hall/tirol, austria
Abstract over the course of evolution, humans and animals have entered into a close relationship. By domesticating animals, humans were able to use them to their own advantage. However, animals should not only be seen as mere providers of material value; in fact, they actually enrich humans' lives on an emotional level. the classic examples for this evolution are dogs: they are considered loyal companions, particularly for children and elderly people. this relationship between humans and animals is the subject of this research study and is examined from a gerontological perspective by employing qualitative social research methods. conclusion: the results of the study reveal the manifold meanings that pets – in particular dogs – can and do have to the elderly. at this point, it should also be noted that there is still a strong need for further research into this topic from a gerontological perspective. Key words: dogs and the elderly, human-dog relationship, pets and the elderly, pets as social facilitators, solitude
to some people, a pet is 'just' an animal. However, to a pet lover a pet is a friend, true partner, and loyal companion. all too frequently the companionship of a pet is underestimated or belittled, even though pets are often intimate companions for many elderly people. they help them fight off loneliness and solitude and continue their activity. to many elderly people, their animal friend means joy and quality of life (otterstedt and Rosenberger 2009). as a consequence, relationships between humans and animals should always be respected and never underestimated. dogs as domestic animals are of particular importance to many of the elderly, even if the extent of this relationship is determined by a variety of influences, emotions, and experiences. this study aims to examine this relationship. Preliminary results have been published in scheibeck et al. 2011.
1 BackgRoUnd
dogs are considered mankind's longest-standing animal companions. throughout the history of humanity, dogs have always played an important role for humans. In more recent times, dogs have become emotional companions and human substitutes for people living in solitude, and they have given new meaning to elderly people's lives. this fact lays the foundation for the aim of this research study: to examine the human-animal relationship – and, in particular, the human-dog relationship – from a gerontological perspective. the study will illustrate the individual meaning that dogs have to their elderly owners and the relationships that form between owners and their four-legged companions. therefore, the following research question will guide the study: How important are dogs to the elde
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