The Role of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) in Neurocognitive Disorder Group Interventions: Benefits for Participants and Care Partners

An emerging crisis of care exists in the United States in the treatment of aging adults with neurocognitive disorders (NCD). Families face great obstacles locating resources and finding appropriate caregiving options for their needs. Occupational therapy practitioners are well suited to assist both persons with NCD and their care partners through training and support services to promote safety and independence and maximize participation in activities of daily living. Occupational therapy practitioners increasingly employ Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) programs with tailored activities to foster problem-solving skills to enhance performance and behavior, improving quality of life. This feasibility study employed mixed-methodology to establish a proof of concept by offering a series of six 90-minute AAT group intervention sessions with persons with NCD and care partners at an Alzheimer’s Resource Center in Florida. While quantitative results were not significant, many promising qualitative themes emerged to direct future inquiry in AAT interventions with this population.