Staff Views on the Involvement of Animals in Care Home Life: An Exploratory Study

Authors

Jane Fossey, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Vanessa Lawrence, King's College London

Keywords

Care home, staff, animals, pets, person-centered care

Abstract

This qualitative study examined the views of one hundred and eight care staff working in fifteen care homes in the United Kingdom about the involvement Of animals in the care practices of the home. The perceived benefits and difficulties ofdelivering person-centered and psychosocial care, including the involvement of animals were explored. The findings describe the main themes related to animal involvement elicited from staff. These include the benefits to residents' well-being and the varying challenges that visiting and residential animals pose. The implicationsfor practice are discussed and the need for clearer information for care home teams is identified.

Recommended Citation

Fossey, Jane and Lawrence, Vanessa (2013) "Staff Views on the Involvement of Animals in Care Home Life: An Exploratory Study," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 40: Iss. 4, Article 16.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.3772
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol40/iss4/16