Nurses and aides need to keep pet safety in mind
The benefit of animal companions for cardiac patients was documented as long ago as 1995 in a study that showed the one-year survival rate for heart attack patients who owned pets was significantly higher than for heart attack patients who did not own pets.1 This benefit extends to people with other illnesses as well, says Robin Tropper, executive director of the Humane Society of the High Plains in Hays, KS.
"The unconditional, emotional support given by pets to their owners can reduce stress in all people," says Tropper. The pet’s dependence on people to provide care also can motivate older adults to focus on caring for something else rather than wait for others to care for them, she says.
While home health personnel can use a patient’s pet as a way to communicate with the patient as they groom, feed, or just talk about the animal, it is important to make sure that the pet’s safety is kept in mind as home health equipment and medications are brought into the home, Tropper warns.
"Your initial assessment of the patient and the patient’s home should take into account that there is a pet in the home," suggests Tropper. "If an aide is expected to help care for the pet, be sure you find out the pet’s eating or walking schedule," she says. Be aware of things that can harm the pet as its environment changes with the introduction of home care, she adds.
• Make sure pill bottles and medications are not open or accessible to pets.
"Cats love to bat things around, and pill bottles are wonderful toys from their perspective," says Tropper. Be sure that caps are securely closed in case the cat starts to play with one, she adds.
• Remember that pets chew things.
Watch for dogs that chew electrical cords, tubing, or even pill cases, says Tropper. Even if the medication in the pill case or bottle is something a vet might prescribe for an animal, such as aspirin, it can be dangerous if the animal ingests an abnormal dose when the case pops open, she explains.
• Keep medications separate.
Be especially careful if the pet is on medication, warns Tropper. "Some pet medications look very much like our medications, so you want to be sure that you don’t mix the two." One way to ensure no mistakes is to keep the medications in separate cabinets or locations, she suggests.
• Watch harmful chemicals.
When aides clean any toilets or mop floors, be sure to keep cleaning products away from pets, says Tropper. "If the aide uses a product such as Pine-Sol to mop the floor, make sure the pet doesn’t walk across the floor until it is dry because it is caustic to their paws," she says. Insecticides, rodent poisons, and rubbing alcohol should all be kept in a place that the pet cannot reach, she adds.
While caring for a patient with a pet means taking many of the same precautions you take when there is a young child in the home, Tropper points out that the pet can help home care personnel when they are with the patient. "Patients enjoy talking about their pet, and performing simple tasks like brushing or feeding the pet, so the pet can become an easy way to communicate. If home care personnel show their appreciation for and respect of the pet, the patient is more comfortable with the aide or the nurse," she says.
Reference
1. Friedmann E, Thomas SA. Pet ownership, social support, and one-year survival after acute myocardial infection in the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial. Am J Cardiol 1995; 76(17): 1213-7.
For more information about pets and home care, contact:
- Robin Tropper, Executive Director, Humane Society of the High Plains, P.O. Box 311, Hays, KS 67601. Telephone: (785) 625-5252. E-mail: [email protected].
The benefit of animal companions for cardiac patients was documented as long ago as 1995 in a study that showed the one-year survival rate for heart attack patients who owned pets was significantly higher than for heart attack patients who did not own pets.
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