Animals in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities: Provision, Policy, and Practice.

Having animals in Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs) is desired but poorly regulated and frequently treated as a feel-good story in the Australian media. Animal-assisted activities (AAA) such as ‘meet-and-greet’ interactions provided by volunteer handler-dog teams are often seen in RACFs. While these animal interactions may provide health and well-being benefits for human recipients, there are potential risks to the resident (scratches, bites, trips, and falls) and the animals (physical injury and poor welfare) alongside the risk of transfer of diseases between people and animals. Importantly, not all animals entering RACFs receive training for these experiences, such as animals brought in by friends and family or provided by commercial operators like petting zoos with farm animals.

Therefore, this research addresses three questions: First, "What are the policies and practices for AAA in Australian RACFs?" Then, "What are the current and likely future effects of these policies and practices on residents and animals?" and "How does Australian Aged Care Legislation influence the provision of AAA in RACFs?" Using a pragmatic worldview and sequential exploratory mixed-method design allowed for a flexible research process for collecting and integrating qualitative and quantitative data, resulting in significant findings and conclusions.

The thesis also includes publications that contribute to answering the research questions and, when analysed together, demonstrate that animal welfare should be central to any practice that includes animals in RACFs. Without appropriate policies and guidelines, RACF residents' access to animal contact relies on a willing manager with an appetite for risk and a degree of luck. Inevitably, when the worst-case scenario occurs, there will be no animals in RACFs.