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ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH DEPRESSION IN LONG-TERM CARE: A GRANT WRITING PROJECT Angela C. Dickson California State University, Long Beach May 2012. Introduction:.

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  1. ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY FOR OLDER ADULTS WITH DEPRESSION IN LONG-TERM CARE: A GRANT WRITING PROJECTAngela C. DicksonCalifornia State University, Long BeachMay 2012

  2. Introduction: • A study (n = 3,747) conducted by Jones, Marcantonio & Rabinowitz (2003) found that approximately one in five residents in long term care had identified depression. • Older adults who reside in long-term care facilities, depression is often under diagnosed and untreated (Brown, Lapane & Luisi, 2002; Serby & Yu, 2003). This is because the symptoms (e.g., loss of appetite, changes in sleep patterns) are often attributed to medical conditions are seen as normal reactions to grief or a loss, instead of being an indication of a mood disorder (Kraaij & Garnefski, 2002; Lynch, Compton, Mendelson, Robins, & Krishnan, 2000). • The use of animal assisted therapy in long-term care settings has been identified as a technique that is effective for reducing depression among older adults in a long-term care setting (Colombo et al., 2006; Stasi et al., 2004). In fact, Benda & Lightmark (2004) found that there are approximately 2,500 programs incorporating animals in long-term care programs within the United States; with approximately 52 of these programs located in California (Alternative Solutions in Long Term Care, 2011).

  3. Social Work Relevance: • Companion animals have been noted to alleviate the mental and emotional stressors of the end of life process (Geilser, 2004) for older adults which are important facts to take into consideration within the social work profession. • The relationship between humans and their animal companions have been recognized as important to our overall well-being and numerous spiritual-based religions even recognize animals within their traditions as guardian spirits for the living, and as guides to the afterlife (Serpell, 2006). • Changes in healthcare and the increase of out of pocket costs for older adults are also important to take into consideration as more holistic means of care will be utilized in place of standard healthcare.

  4. Cross-cultural Relevance: • Due to the growth in the older adult population, more interventions are needed to help those most vulnerable. Older adults in long-term care are a very vulnerable due to the high rates of depression among this client population (Thakur & Blazer, 2008). • The use of companion animals as an intervention offers a holistic alternative to the treatment of depression among older adults in long-term care. Further, the use of companion animals is common across cultures, which supports the multicultural relevance of this project.

  5. Methods: • Target population: The United States is projected to increase their aged population from 35 million to over 87 million between the 2000 and 2050 (U.S. Census Bureau 2012). The results of a study conducted by Achterberg, Pot, Kerkstra, Ooms, Muller & Ribbe (2003) found that 12% of the residents (n = 562) in the study who were newly admitted into a SNF suffered from symptoms of depression. The interpretation from this study indicated that forms of social interaction help to decrease symptoms of depression in these older adults. For the purpose of this project, the target population will be identified as older adults 55 years of age or older, residing in long term care facilities within Los Angeles County showing signs or symptoms of depression and a decreased quality of life. • Identifying funding source: The Grantsmanship Center database (www.tgfi.com) was researched for potential funding source matches. These matches were narrowed down based off the following: availability and active disbursement of grant funds, and whether or not the grants were an appropriate match.

  6. Methods (cont.): • Funding source: The ArchstoneFoundation is located in Long Beach, California and ensures their funding is granted to projects focused on providing much needed areas of care to the aging population. The area of focus most fitting to the grant writer is mental health which was added to the areas of focus in early 2011. The Archstone Foundation’s view is that mental illnesses left untreated reduce a person’s capacity for coping and overall quality of life. • Needs assessment: Statistical data was also obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau (2004), AARP Institute (2010), National Center for Health Statistics, 1985 and 2004 National Nursing Home Survey, all of which provided the demographic data needed to support this project (e.g., prevalence, gender, ethnic differences, and socioeconomic status). the Delta Society and the Eden Alternative were researched for evidence based pet therapy studies and programs to supplement the statistical data retrieved from the aforementioned sources. This information was used to gain a better understanding of the current programming available for pet therapy in Los Angeles County. • Budget range and categories: The budget requested for this three year project is $959,979. The categories in the budget were listed as: Salaries and benefits, direct program costs, and in-kind benefits.

  7. Grant Proposal: • Program summary: Utilize the program structure from Pet Partners (2012) with the training model established by the Eden Alternative (2009) within long term care facilities in Los Angeles County to help decrease depressive symptoms and increase overall quality of life. • Population served: In 2030, the aging population will have two times as many older adults, as compared to the current population in long term care (Alecxih, 2006). The United States is projected to increase their aged population from 35 million to over 87 million between the 2000 and 2050 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012). • Sustainability: The grant writer will request funding for a three year program in order to properly evaluate the effectiveness of the program model, while also utilizing many of the services needed through in-kind donations.

  8. Grant Proposal (cont.): • Program objectives: hiring program staff, facilitate and support the overall quality of life for older adults in long term care, and create awareness of program model to long term care facilities and implement in at least one facility in Los Angeles County. • Program evaluation: Ongoing evaluations will be conducted in order to properly evaluate the effectiveness of the program model. A Quality of Life (QOL) Scle by Kane (2003) will be administered to long term care facilities participating in the program model before and after implementation.

  9. Lessons Learned: • The grant writer gained invaluable information regarding the grant writing process and how to access various funding sources. The specific internet databases along with the Non-Profit Resource Center were both available and made the research easier to complete. The Grantsmanship Center (http://www.tgci.com/) was a wonderful search engine for searching both private and government related funding sources. • In order to ensure the guidelines were followed by the potential funding source, the Archstone Foundation, the grant writer included evidenced based research to help increase the chanced of the program model being funded. This became one of the most tedious portions of the grant writing process and took a detailed eye and a great amount of research to complete. • Decreasing depressive symptoms, increasing overall well-being and quality of life are imperative for social workers engaged with the aging population. In social work practice, professionals should take into consideration the strong relationship between people and their animals as companions, and make note that ethnic and cultural differences can also play a role in these relationships, although more research is needed in this area (Risley-Curtiss, Holley, & Wolf, 2006).

  10. References: • Achterberg, W., Pot, A. M., Kerkstra, A., Ooms, M., Muller, M., & Ribbe, M. (2003). The Effect of Depression on Social Engagement in Newly Admitted Dutch Nursing Home Residents. The Gerontologist, 43(2), 213-218. • Alecxih, L. (2006) Nursing Home Use by “Oldest Old” Sharply Declines. The Lewin Group. Presented on November 21, 2006 to the National Press Club. • Alternative Solutions in Long Term Care. (2011). State by state animal assisted programs. Retrieved from www.activitytherapy.com/us.htm#cali. • Benda, W., & Lightmark, R. (2004). People whispers: Integral health and healing. Shift: At the frontiers of Consciousness, June-August, 30-33. • Brown M, Lapane K, Luisi A. (2002). The management of depression in older nursing home patients. J Am Geriatr Soc. 50(1), 69-76. • Colombo, G., Buono, M., Smania, K., Raviola, R., & De Leo, D. (2006). Pet therapy and institutionalized elderly: A study of 144 cognitively unimpaired subjects. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 42(1), 207-216. • Eden Alternative. (2009). Eden alternative homepage. Retrieved from www.edenalt.org • Geisler, A. (2004). Companion animals in palliative care: Stories from the bedside. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care, 21(4), 285-288. • Jones, R.N., Marcantonio, E.R., & Rabinowitz, T. (2003). Prevalence and Correlates of Recognized Depression in U.S. Nursing Homes. J Am Geriatr Soc, 51(1), 1404-1409. • Kane, R. A. (2003). Definition, Measurement, and Correlates of Quality of Life in Nursing Homes: Toward a Reasonable Practice, Research, and Policy Agency. The Gerontologist, 43(1), 28-36. • Kraaij, V., & Garnefski, N. (2002). Negative life events and depressive symptoms in late life: Buffering effects of parental and partner bonding? Personal Relationships, 9(1),205-214. • Lynch, T. R., Compton, J. S., Mendelson, T., Robins, C. J., & Krishnan, K. R. R. (2000). Anxious depression among the elderly: Clinical and phenomenological correlates. Aging & Mental Health ,4(1), 268-274. • Pet Partners. (2012). about pet partners. Retrieved from www.deltasociety.org. • Risley-Curtiss, C., Holley, L., & Wolf, S. (2006, July). The animal-human bond and ethnic diversity. National Association of Social Workers, 51(3),257-268. • Serby, M., & Yu, M. (2003). Overview: Depression in the elderly. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, 70(1), 38-44. • Serpell, J. (2006). Animal-assited interventions in historical perspective. Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy, 2nd edn. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, pp. 3-17. • Stasi, M. F., Amati, D., & Costa, C. (2004). Pet-therapy: A trial for instituationalized frail elderly patients. Arch GerontolGeriatr, 9 (Suppl) , 407-412. • Thakur, M., & Blazer, D. G. (2008).Depression in long-term care.J Am Med Dir Assoc., 9(1), 82-87. • U.S. Census Bureau (2012). State & County QuickFacts. Retrieved from  http:// quickfacts.census.gov/.

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