<p>At two nursing homes for people with dementia a qualitative study was performed. The purpose was to investigate the therapy dog‟s meaning to people with dementia from their perspective. Two women and five men with dementia were interviewed, everyone being somewhere between 60 and 87 years of age. All but one had previously owned a dog at some point in their lives. From the content analysis four categories could be identified: activity, fellowship, friendship and without positive meaning. The therapy dog had different meanings to the different people. The therapy dog had a positive meaning to five of the interviewed participants. Most of the participants had a positive approach to the therapy dog. It was considered to be good company and a good friend, as well as something to play and interact with. Two of the participants did not consider the therapy dog to be of any particular meaning to them, one of them showing disinterest for the subject. Knowledge about attitude to and experience of dogs for persons with dementia during the healthy part of life is important in order to have a well-established therapy with therapy dogs.</p> / <p>På två vårdboenden för personer med demens genomfördes en kvalitativ studie, med syftet att ta reda på vilken betydelse vårdhunden hade för dem ur deras eget perspektiv. Två kvinnor och fem män med demens inkluderades och intervjuades. De var mellan 60 och 87 år. Alla utom en hade tidigare haft egen hund. Ur innehållsanalysen framkom fyra kategorier: aktivitet, gemenskap, kamratskap och utan positiv betydelse. Vårdhunden hade olika betydelse för olika informanter. Flertalet av de intervjuade hade en positiv inställning till vårdhunden. Den var ett sällskap, en god kamrat och man lekte/hade aktivitet tillsammans. Två av de intervjuade tyckte inte att vårdhunden hade någon positiv betydelse, varav en uttryckte ointresse för vårdhunden. Kunskap om inställning till och erfarenhet av hundar under den friska levnadstiden hos personer med demens är viktig för att de ska uppfatta vårdhunden och terapin som positiv.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA/oai:DiVA.org:uu-112294 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Brännström, Christina |
| Publisher | Uppsala University, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, text |
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