Contributions of having a pet to living well with dementia over time: Longitudinal findings from the IDEAL cohort

Abstract

Objectives: Pets may be beneficial for people living with dementia but understanding of longitudinal benefits is limited. This study investigated whether having a pet was associated with differences over time in ‘living well’, cognition, functional ability, depression or loneliness. Method: This study utilised 3 assessment timepoints from the IDEAL Programme, a longitudinal cohort study of people with mild-to-moderate dementia. The relationships between having a pet, a dog, and caring for a pet (vs no pet/no dog/not caring) and outcome changes were assessed using mixed effects models with data from 1,532 people with dementia at baseline, 1,173 at 12-months and 846 people at 24 months. Results: People with dementia with a pet had slower decline in informant-rated well-being, satisfaction with life, and self-rated functional ability over time than those with no pet. Those with a dog had slower decline in self-rated quality of life and functional ability, cognitive function, and informant-rated well-being and functional ability than those with a different pet or no pet. Conclusion: Having a pet may be beneficial for people living with dementia, with dogs offering additional benefits. Enabling people living with dementia to have a pet could help them maintain their independence and ability to live well for longer.