The Benefits of Pet Therapy for Seniors
Pet Therapy - Our Furry Friends Offer Health Benefits and More
Pets enrich our lives in many ways including pet therapy. From daily companionship to the added security a watchdog provides, pets have so much to offer their human caretakers. But did you know pets can have a positive effect on a senior’s health as well? It’s true. Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.
There are a number of reasons pets help us remain healthy as we age. Walking a dog gets us outdoors and exercising. Caring for an animal helps our mind stay active with the responsibility it requires to remember to feed the pet and otherwise watch after it.
Other health benefits include:
• Pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.
• People with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations
than those without pets.
• Pet guardians have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels
(indicators of heart disease) than those without pets.
• Heart attack patients with pets survive longer than those without.
Pets can boost overall well being by helping us find meaning and joy in life. As we age, we may lose things that previously occupied our time and gave our life purpose, such as a family or career. Caring for a pet can bring pleasure, help boost morale and optimism, and provide a sense of self-worth.
Pets and Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia
As part of the disease, Alzheimer’s patients may exhibit a wide variety of behavioral problems, many related to an inability to deal with stress.
• Research at the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine concluded
that Alzheimer’s patients suffer less stress and have fewer anxious outbursts if there is
a pet in the home.
• Pets can provide a source of positive, nonverbal communication.
The playful interaction and gentle touch from a well-trained, docile animal can help soothe
an Alzheimer’s patient and decrease aggressive behavior.
• In many cases a patient’s problem behavior is a reaction to the stressed response of the
primary caretaker. Pets can help ease the stress of caregivers. Cats or caged animals may
be more suitable than dogs, which generally require more care and can add to the burden
of someone who’s already looking after an Alzheimer’s patient.
Due to the overwhelming evidence that pets are a positive source of well being for seniors, assisted-living communities have begun to integrate pets into their care through neighborhood pet therapy programs, and more communities are allowing seniors to bring their companion animals with them into assisted care and retirement homes.
To find out which senior living residences allow pets, or have pet therapy programs, visit alternativesforseniors.com. There you can easily find a senior apartment, independent-living, assisted-living, alzheimer’s specialty or other continuing-care community that meets all your lifestyle and care needs.
Alternatives for Seniors is a print and online directory that specifically caters to the housing and personal care concerns of senior citizens and their families since 1992. Call our Senior Specialists at 888-904-1990 or visit the Alternatives for Seniors website to begin searching for the perfect home for you or your loved ones. Also, be sure to join our Facebook community and follow us on Twitter.
BLOG Date: March 7, 2014
Writer: Ryan Allen