Animal assisted therapy and its influence on blood pressure institutionalized elderly

Abstract

The animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is used as a tool in the treatment of diseases, with several beneficial effects on psychiatric patients, hospitalized, elderly, among others. AAT aims to promote the well-being, emotional, physical, social and cognitive health, where the animal is the main therapeutical agent, working as a bridge between treatment and the patient. The institutionalization of the elderly usually occurs after the occurrence of physical, cognitive, acute or chronic illnesses, loss of spouse or child, loss of social support or poverty, creating dependency in performing activities of daily living and mobility. It is a controlled experimental clinical study, conducted in a nursing home in Vila Velha, ES, in order to evaluate the influence of the AAT in blood pressure of institutionalized elderly hypertensives. The study included 25 elderly. The variables used in the study were AAT (independent), changes in blood pressure (dependent) and age (control). AAT sessions were held weekly with duration of 1 hour and blood pressure was measured using a sphygmomanometer before and after each session for four months. There was better control of blood pressure levels besides a promotion of moments of joy and relaxation of a representative sample group of institutionalized elderly.