Alternative Therapies for a New Era of Health Care

More than 20 years ago, an article about the use of music, art, and pet therapy in nursing facilities appeared in this journal. At the time, these fields were still evolving, and there was limited clinical evidence regarding their value. While there were a few champions of these therapies among practitioners, many more were skeptical about their benefit to long-term care facility residents. This article presents an update on these alternative therapies in light of recent developments in health care, changes in the culture of long-term care, and federal efforts to reduce the use of antipsychotics.