Although it is difficult to carry out scientific studies about the effects of pets on residents of nursing homes, a recent innovative effort by Thomas (1994) demonstrates it is possible.

As medical director of a nursing home, Thomas decided to create a totally new environment for residents. He envisioned home-like surroundings with companion animals, flower and vegetable gardens, visiting school children, and on-site day care for younger children.

He committed himself and his staff to the eradication of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom, and built a humane environment he calls the Eden Alternative. Nearly 100 birds (parakeets, lovebirds, finches, and canaries) live in residents’ rooms.

Two dogs and four cats roam freely throughout the living quarters and interact with residents all day. Outdoors there are rabbits and chickens, and Thomas has learned that the more diverse and complex a human habitat becomes, the greater the potential for meaningful (and stimulating) interaction.

In order to test the effectiveness of the new environment, Thomas compared residents in his nursing home with a control group, i.e., residents in a nearby nursing home who were similar in age and cultural background.

Over a two-year period he documented dramatic reductions among the Eden group in the use of psychotropic drugs for mind and mood altering. Such reductions are in marked contrast to high national and regional levels of use in United States nursing homes.

Another part of the evaluation of the intervention involved a focus on mortality rate in the two nursing homes. During the first 18 months following arrival of the animals, plants, and children, there were 15% fewer deaths in the Eden group, relative to the control

group. As the study progressed, this percentage increased. Residents of both homes had equal levels of function, so people in the Eden group did not just live longer because they were healthier.

Instead, Thomas suggests that the difference in death rates is related to the fundamental human need for a reason to live, and a quality of life.

As a scientist Thomas cannot say with certainty that a patient would not have lived without pets, but as a clinician he has observed that the patient’s commitment to taking care of the animals engendered an intense need to keep living.

Continues in Companion Animals and Elderly People-the health benefits  Part 4