Dementia Care

at a Glance

Catharine Jenkins, Laura Ginesi, Berni Keenan

Multiple Choice: Chapter 43 Pets: animals as therapy

Question 1. Pets are often well-loved members of the family and can be a source of entertainment and comfort to people with dementia. To get the full benefit, these considerations should be kept in mind:

A. Safety should be a priority, so cats should be trained not to walk slowly in front of people
B. Dogs can be trained to prompt their owners to eat. However, they should be chosen to be a height so that when their tails are wagging they do not knock items off low tables
C. Robotic pets are a useful alternative as they do not need to be toilet trained or taken to the vets
D. The right pets should be chosen – they should be calm, affectionate and responsive, while not having any potentially disruptive habits (e.g. chasing, barking, biting or shredding furnishings)