While your aging aunty may be keen to walk her dog every day at the age of 70, will she still be able to do so? Senior dogs and cats are better for the elderly because they are more calm, quiet, and less maintenance. – this variety are fun to be around, lively, active, and incredibly affectionate. The best place to find an adult dog is as a rescue group or shelter. If having a pet at home doesn’t seem like a possibility, find out if senior centers in your area have programs where animals come to visit a few times a week. Good Physical Exercise. Don’t be that person! That is but one of the roles a dog can fill for our loved ones, though. The aim of therapy could be to improve a senior’s emotional, social, or cognitive abilities. Cats are another ideal pet for seniors, ([vii]) particularly if the responsibility of training and owning a dog proves to be too difficult and demanding. Let us now take a look at the best pets for seniors. location = 'https://caringpeopleinc.com/thankyou/'; Many facilities have pet visit volunteers: loving animals—and their owners—who are trained to provide comfort and a special kind of friendship to anyone who can benefit, from a child struggling to read to disaster victims and the elderly. While not all seniors may be able to take care of a pet themselves, pet therapy may be just the thing to cheer them up and make them feel wanted. money.usnews.com/money/retirement/slideshows/10-reasons-older-people-need-pets?slide=10 In some cases, it may be necessary to make the heartbreaking decision to give up a pet. Have a succession plan for your pet. Pet therapy can also help with Alzheimer’s Sundowners Syndrome. newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/rethinking-the-value-of-pets/ Let’s expand on these now, so you can decide if pet therapy is right for the senior in your life. However, a house-trained, adult cat ([viii]) chosen from a rescue center is a fantastic option. Although, pets can do wonders for an elderly adult, the pet’s needs are important to keep in mind as well. The result: heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels immediately drop. Are you wondering how you are going to care for your pet as you age in place? They worked out solutions to the issues that seniors have with pet adoption, and the program is very successful. Emotionally, pets can provide the elderly with companionship, as well as: The physical health benefits of animal assisted therapy usually depend on which kind of therapy is practiced and can include the following: Pet therapy also provides several incredible mental benefits to patients, such as: Typically, pets first have to undergo a special kind of training before they can be used in pet therapy. The training often involves the pet having to go through a range of likely situations with a trainer so that the pet learns the appropriate behavior and responses. There are many options for adoption, foster care, and shelters that can take care of your pet. If you are particularly looking for a dog who offers protection in your golden years, this is not the right breed! A tamed cockatiel or parakeet (unlike larger birds than tend to live for decades), are also delightful additions and can certainly liven up a quiet household. All clients pre-screened. Asking a loved one or volunteer agency to take care of the more physical aspects of pet care can alleviate stress and susceptibility to accidents. The downside of pet ownership is a difficult subject to breach because no one wants to give up their beloved pet. Just because you give away a pet or choose not to take one into your home, it doesn’t mean that you can’t visit with other family pets or receive pet therapy. Abstract Background: Previous studies have suggested that visiting dogs can have positive effects on elderly people in nursing homes. If you are healthy enough or your caregiver is willing enough to care for a pet, the rewards of pet ownership can be life-changing. – local health departments may have a list of therapy programs in your area. – buying food for a dog is one thing, but there are vet visits, flea products, dog walking services, and even heartworm prevention to think about. Reach out to family members, friends, neighbors who care, or a nonprofit that provides assistance to aging pet owners. Other studies have found that if you have a strong social network, having a pet makes no difference in your happiness level. Over the long term, pet and human interactions can lower cholesterol levels, fight depression and may even help protect against heart disease and stroke”. The Alternatives: How to Choose. For seniors with disabilities, a service dog might be the best option. A senior who lives alone craves responsibility and companionship and a pet is the perfect way to fill this void, while also providing a long and lasting bond. Since our first match between a senior dog and a senior citizen in August of 1999, Pets for Seniors has rescued over 700 older dogs and cats from euthanasia at Central Illinois animal control facilities and found them homes, most with senior citizens who had given up having companion animals despite the proven physical and emotional benefits. The benefits of the human-animal bond has been documented for centuries, yet the relationship between a patient and a therapy animal seems to extend way beyond simple companionship. Overall, dogs do make sensational pet therapy for elders ([v]). – retired Greyhounds are accustomed to small living spaces, usually having been kept in crates most of their lives. In an emergency situation, service dogs are trained to perform life-saving tasks, like retrieving medication, calling 911, opening the door for EMT and first responders, running to get help or barking for help after identifying an emergency, and laying down on their handler’s chest to help them cough or breath better. For these reasons, choosing a designated family member or in-home health aide that is willing to check on the pet and help take care of it would be ideal. Pat tells us when she saw Brady at the Humane Society, she couldn’t resist. – you can identify these dogs easily – they are cuddly little balls of fluff! This is a decision you will have to make together. “Animals’ non-verbal communication and profound acceptance can be soothing for those with difficulty using language; some may even connect with memories of their own treasured pets,” (Byrne, 2015). Who will look after their pet if they have to leave their home or pass away? Some studies even find that the more attached an elderly person is to their pet, the more depressed they are. Pet therapy for the elderly can provide a myriad of amazing benefits, along with companionship, entertainment, security, and warmth, for seniors looking for a living creature to bond with and look after. They are usually already trained and often have less health issues than purebred dogs. The small breed is perfect for seniors who are home most of the time and able to play, interact, and walk frequently. – pet therapy for the elderly works well with larger breeds of dogs, too, and if you would prefer a larger dog, you really cannot go wrong with a Golden Retriever. Service dogs are trained to perform life-saving tasks, like retrieving medication, calling 911, opening the door for EMT and first responders, running to get help or barking for help after identifying an emergency, and laying down on their handler’s chest to help them cough or breath better. 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