The goal of this randomized study is to find out if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) - a structured program where trained animals take part in care sessions guided by health professionals - can help improve movement abilities in older adults with dementia or memory-related conditions who are staying in a medical rehabilitation unit.
The main questions this study aims to answer are:
* Can adding animal-assisted therapy to standard rehabilitation improve participants' movement and motor abilities better than standard rehabilitation alone? * Can this combined approach help participants stay more independent in daily activities? * Can this combined approach improve participants' quality of life? * Can this combined approach reduce the risk of falls?
Researchers will compare two groups:
* Group 1 (experimental): Standard rehabilitation + animal-assisted therapy sessions with a trained dog and/or rabbits * Group 2 (control): Standard rehabilitation alone
Both groups attend 2 one-hour rehabilitation sessions per week for 4 weeks.
Participants will:
* Complete movement and daily-life ability tests at the start and end of the study * Attend 8 rehabilitation sessions (over 4 weeks) * Participants in the animal therapy group will interact with a trained dog and/or rabbits during sessions, guided by a certified nurse-animal therapist, a psychomotor therapist, and a nursing assistant * Be assessed at the end of the 4-week program (Week 6) to measure any changes in motor abilities, independence, quality of life, and fall risk
Hospitalized in the geriatric medical and rehabilitation ward (SMR) of Institut Médical de Sologne (IMDS)
Diagnosed dementia or confirmed cognitive decline, shown by a score between 15 and 24 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE - a short standardized test of memory and thinking)
Has active motor rehabilitation goals (identified need to improve movement abilities during hospitalization)
Participant and/or their legal guardian, trusted person (personne de confiance), curator, or family member has provided written consent to participate in the study
Known allergy to the animals used in the animal-assisted therapy sessions (dog, rabbits)
Fear of animals
History of aggressive behavior toward animals
Concomitant psychiatric disorders