{"id":6725,"date":"2022-09-08T09:00:51","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T09:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/preferhome.com\/pet-for-a-senior\/"},"modified":"2022-09-08T09:00:51","modified_gmt":"2022-09-08T09:00:51","slug":"pet-for-a-senior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/preferhome.com\/locations\/blog\/pet-for-a-senior\/","title":{"rendered":"A Pet for Mom? 3 Issues to Consider"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pets can provide crucial emotional and social support for seniors, reducing loneliness and depression. Research indicates that strong pet attachments correlate with improved mental health and quality of life for older adults.<\/p>\n

Research from The National Poll on Healthy Aging<\/a> reveals significant health benefits for seniors with pets: 79% find stress relief, 34% report reduced pain, and pets contribute to improved sleep and decreased inflammation.<\/p>\n

Pets offer a variety of benefits for seniors, such as companionship, physical and mental improvements, and a sense of security and protection. However, there are also difficulties, challenges and practical implications to think about.<\/p>\n

The other day I was walking my dogs, Calvin and Clive, with my senior neighbor, Pam,* and her fluffy dog, Zoe. (You know, the one who loves to pole walk.) My dogs absolutely love Pam and Zoe, and as soon as I leave my house with them they drag me to Pam and Zoe\u2019s house in hopes of seeing their favorite \u201cgirlfriends.\u201d<\/p>\n

On this particular walk, Pam was talking about moving into a 55-plus community. She had found a really nice place, but no pets were allowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow ridiculous!\u201d I exclaimed. I couldn\u2019t help but think of Zoe\u2019s birthday party where Pam and I ate chicken salad and chatted while our pups ate way too much birthday cake and chased each other through Pam\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

No, Pam wouldn\u2019t be moving into a community that didn\u2019t allow pets. Zoe was way more than just a pet, she was a part of the family.<\/p>\n

Here are three issues to consider before purchasing a pet:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Physical capabilities. Assess your or your loved one’s ability to care for the pet. Will your parent be able to take a dog on walks or clean up a litter box?<\/li>\n
  2. The age of the pet. Let\u2019s be honest, while puppies are cute, the training is brutal! Depending on the support a senior has in place, a puppy may not be the best option. Adopting an older cat or dog may be a better option. Some pet adoption agencies provide a \u201cSenior for Senior\u201d service where older cats and dogs are placed in senior homes.<\/li>\n
  3. Financial obligation. Pets are an added expense, from food, grooming, doctors’ visits, and ongoing medicine such as heartworm. The bills can quickly add up, so having an accurate understanding of what you can afford is an important step.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Pets can provide crucial emotional and social support for seniors, reducing loneliness and depression. Research indicates that strong pet attachments Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":22087,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[944],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senior-health-wellness"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nShould Seniors Get into Pet Ownership? 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