L'animal : une approche humaniste en maison de retraite - 1re partie - Un outil à la disposition des thérapeutes

Human beings have nurtured animals as pets since ancient times, a phenomenon which has increased over the last few decades. The search for affection is one of the main motivations behind the desire to have a pet animal so that it is highly contradictory to see this link disappear in older populations in nursing homes. The nursing home resident is cut off from his/her roots and enters a period of mourning, including mourning for the lost friendship of a faithful four-legged companion. There is a large body of research demonstrating the contribution of pets to a person's general health and psychological well-being. In geriatrics, we have noted that pets can even become catalysers, facilitating the physical and mental participation of the dependent person. After having used animals as therapeutic, educative and social tools in a medicosocial setting for several years, we have observed a major benefit for the patients, their families and the healthcare personnel.