Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2017 Aug 21:8:1416.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01416. eCollection 2017.

Human-Animal Interaction and Older Adults: An Overview

Nancy R Gee  1   2 , Megan K Mueller  3   4 , Angela L Curl  5
Affiliations
Review

Human-Animal Interaction and Older Adults: An Overview

Nancy R Gee et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Both pet ownership and animal-assisted therapy are becoming increasingly popular in the United States, and the science of human-animal interaction (HAI) seeks to explore how these relationships with animals can impact health and well-being. In particular, one burgeoning area of research is the role of HAI in healthy aging, given the potential for HAI as an important feature of health and well-being in older adults. The purpose of this review is to summarize and evaluate existing research in this innovative area of scholarship, identifying the potential benefits and risks of both pet ownership and animals in therapeutic settings for older adults. We will also identify recommendations for future research and applications in this developing area of scholarship.

Keywords: aging; animal-assisted therapy; human–animal interaction; older adults; pet ownership.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Administration on Aging [AoA] (2016). A Profile of Older Americans: 2015. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
    1. Aiba N., Hotta K., Yokoyama M., Wang G., Tabata M., Kamiya K., et al. (2012). Usefulness of pet ownership as a modulator of cardiac autonomic imbalance in patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and/or hyperlipidemia. Am. J. Cardiol. 109 1164–1170. 10.1016/j.amjcard.2011.11.055 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Allen K., Blascovich J., Mendes W. B. (2002). Cardiovascular reactivity and the presence of pets, friends, and spouses: the truth about cats and dogs. Psychosom. Med. 64 727–739. 10.1097/00006842-200209000-00005 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Allen K., Shykoff B. S., Izzo J. L. (2001). Pet ownership, but not ACE inhibitor therapy, blunts home blood pressure responses to mental stress. Hypertension 38 815–820. - PubMed
    1. Ambrose A. F., Paul G., Hausdorff J. M. (2013). Risk factors for falls among older adults: a review of the literature. Maturitas 75 51–61. 10.1016/j.maturitas.2013.02.009 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources