Optimal Dog Visits

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Aging; Dementia
• Interventions: Behavioral: Dog visit; Behavioral: Encourage to engage in activity

• Registration Number: NCT04635124
• Lead Sponsor: University of Aarhus

Brief Summary

The aim of this project is to study how an the intensity of dog contact during dog visits in nursing homes can affect the immediate response to, and the general effect of the visits, and whether the residents' level of cognitive impairment affects the response and benefit of dog visits.

The participants are randomly assigned to receive one type of visits (12 visits in total) out of three possible visit types (1: visit with a dog; 2: visit with a dog, including a planned activity, 3 visit without a dog, including a planned activity). The residents received 2 visits per week for 6 weeks. The behaviour of the participants during visits is recorded. Before and after the intervention period, participants are scores on psychometric scales for cognitive impairment level, daily function level and symptoms of depression.

Detailed Description

Not available

Basic Information
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Recruitment & Eligibility
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Study & Design

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2015-01-01
• Primary Completion: 2017-11-01
• Study Completion: 2017-11-01
• Status Verified: 2020-11
• Study First Submitted: 2020-11-16
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-11-17
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-11-17
• Study First Posted: 2020-11-18
• Last Update Posted: 2020-11-18

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 186

Inclusion Criteria

• Being able to sit up during the visits

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Exclusion Criteria

• Dog allergy
• Fear of dogs
• Health problems that make participation unadvisable

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
1: Dog visit with a dog, no additional activity (D)	Dog visit	The nursing home resident receives 12 10-minute visits in their own room. The visitor is accompanied with a dog, and the resident can touch the dog. Apart from the visitor, an observer is present.
2: Dog visit with an additional activity (DA)	Encourage to engage in activity	The nursing home resident receives 12 10-minute visits in their own room. The visitor is accompanied with a dog, and the resident can touch the dog. During the visit, the visitor offers the resident to participate in an activity that involves interacting with the dog. Apart from the visitor, an observer is present.
2: Dog visit with an additional activity (DA)	Dog visit	The nursing home resident receives 12 10-minute visits in their own room. The visitor is accompanied with a dog, and the resident can touch the dog. During the visit, the visitor offers the resident to participate in an activity that involves interacting with the dog. Apart from the visitor, an observer is present.
3: Visit without dog, with an additional activity (A)	Encourage to engage in activity	The nursing home resident receives 12 10-minute visits in their own room. During the visit, the visitor offers the resident to participate in an activity. Apart from the visitor, an observer is present, but no dog is present..

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Behavioural response during visits	Behaviour is recorded in all of the 12 visits in the 6 week intervention period	The behaviour of the residents is recorded by direct observation using continuous recording. In all visits, the frequency and duration of talk and physical contact to the persons present are recorded. Talk is classified into talk about the dog and/or activity, depending on the visit type. In visits with dogs (D, DA), the frequency and duration of physical contact and talk directed to the dog are recorded, and in visits involving an activity (DA, A), the frequency and duration of the residents' involvement in the activity are recorded.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Daily function level, before intervention	This measure is obtained in the week preceeding the intervention period (6 weeks, 2 visits )	All participants were scored on The Gottfries-Bråne-Steen Scale (GBS), which is an evaluation of disabilities, language, psychiatric symptoms, average daily living function, and behaviour of the participants. The GBS score has a minimum and maximum value of 0 and 156, respectively. The lower the score, the more well-functioning the patient.
Cognitive impairment level, after intervention	This measure is obtained in the week following the intervention period (6 weeks, 2 visits )	All participants were scored on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which gives information about the participants' cognitive status. The MMSE score has a minimum and maximum value of 0 and 30, respectively. The lower the score, the more severe the cognitively impairment level.
Cognitive impairment level, before intervention	This measure is obtained in the week preceeding the intervention period (6 weeks, 2 visits )	All participants were scored on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which gives information about the participants' cognitive status.The MMSE score has a minimum and maximum value of 0 and 30, respectively. The lower the score, the more severe the cognitively impairment level.
Daily function level,, after intervention	This measure is obtained in the week following the intervention period (6 weeks, 2 visits )	All participants were scored on The Gottfries-Bråne-Steen Scale (GBS), which is an evaluation of disabilities, language, psychiatric symptoms, average daily living function, and behaviour of the participants. The GBS score has a minimum and maximum value of 0 and 156, respectively. The lower the score, the more well-functioning the patient.
Symptoms of depression, before intervention	This measure is obtained in the week preceeding the intervention period (6 weeks, 2 visits )	All participants were scored on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), to screen for symptoms of depression. The GDS score has a minimum and maximum value of 0 and 15, respectively.A high score indicates more symptoms of depression.
Symptoms of depression, after intervention	This measure is obtained in the week following the intervention period (6 weeks, 2 visits )	All participants were scored on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), to screen for symptoms of depression. The GDS score has a minimum and maximum value of 0 and 15, respectively.A high score indicates more symptoms of depression.