Animal-assisted or Robot-assisted Interventions in Health Promotion for Elderly With Dementia: Impact on Factors Related to the Risk of Falls, on Evidence Based Practice and on the Relatives' Burden
Animal-assisted or Robot-assisted Interventions in Health Promotion for Elderly With Dementia: Impact on Factors Related to the Risk of Falls, on Evidence Based Practice and on the Relatives' Burden
The overall research aim of this study is to investigate changes in measures related to the risk of falls among elderly with dementia participating in animal-assisted or robot-assisted interventions. In addition the study will investigate how knowledge transfer occurs among involved health personnel, and how knowledge is refined and transformed as practical competence. The design will be a prospective and cluster randomized multicenter trial, but mixed-methods will be used to target different outcomes. The study population will be elderly (age above 65) at nursing homes diagnosed with dementia, or having a cognitive deficit. The intervention will consist of 30 minutes sessions with animal-assisted activity or robot-assisted activity two times a week for 12 weeks in groups of 4-6 participants. Control groups will receive treatment as usual. Research questions:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Diagnosis of dementia or having a cognitive deficit measured as a score less than 25 on Mini-Mental State Examination.
Exclusion Criteria:
Lørenskog, Norway
Lørenskog, Norway