How Interaction with Pets Can Benefit Elders?

A company of a pet is beneficial for the physical and mental health of elders. Therefore, assisted living facilities and other senior communities should encourage their residents to have pets.

According to the University of Missouri Health, senior adults can benefit from dog ownership in many ways. For example, the researchers associated dog walking with lower body mass index, fewer medical attentions, more frequent workouts and an increase in social benefits.

Apart from that, NPS found in its study that pets have been “demonstrated to improve human cardiovascular health, reduce stress, decrease loneliness and depression, and facilitate social interactions among people who choose to have pets”. The study further reveals that an interaction with pets minimizes “anxiety levels in subjects, and thus decrease the onset, severity, or progression of stress-related conditions”.

If summing up these studies, we can say that pets are beneficial for both the physical and mental health of an elder. This is why senior living communities and care facilities should encourage elders to have pet at larger scale.

Here we will elaborate the benefits of pets for seniors living in care facilities.

Affecting Their Quality of Life:

You have already known that how a company of a pet can be useful for both physical and mental health of an older adult. While walking a dog is similar to cardiovascular workout, their simple caring like feeding, brushing and bathing keeps you engaged. Being a pet owner, an elder feels as if he has a purpose in life.

Improving Their Mood:

Older adults often feel lonely, depressed and dejected, especially at their retirement or when their beloved spouse is dead, or if they are living single. In this scenario, pets help elders recover from loneliness and depression by giving them company, entertainment, affection and a sense of purpose and responsibility. Human beings tend to forget worries and stress in company of pets.

Dr. J.P. Granat, a New Jersey Psychotherapist, advocates senior’s interaction with pets in these words—“Dogs and other pets live very much in the here and now. They don't worry about tomorrow. And tomorrow can be very scary for an older person. By having an animal with that sense of now, it tends to rub off on people."

Helping Them Keep Good Health:

Walking a dog gives elders an opportunity to go out for outdoor activity. They get a fresh lease of air at park while walking keeps them fit. An increased physical activity is helpful to lower their blood pressure, pulse rate and levels of cholesterol.

Giving Them an Opportunity for Social Interaction:

Pets can also improve the social life of the seniors. While walking a dog, they come across several people and meet like-minded persons, expanding their social circle.

Conclusion:

Pets are really useful for the seniors going through emotional and health problems. You must find a care giving facility which can ensure proper care for the pet, if the owner is somehow not able to do so. Combine pet’s interaction with your love and support so that your elder feels really good and stays healthy.