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It’s never easy for someone to move into an assisted living community. For seniors with beloved pets, the thought of surrendering their furry companions can make the move that much harder.
What if that didn’t have to happen, though?
Many older adults do not have to give up their furry friends if they move into pet-friendly senior living communities.
There are plenty of reasons to choose a senior care facility that is pet friendly, including the following.
Pet-friendly assisted living options are great for senior residents’ mental health. For starters, residents will not have to worry about losing their furry companions, which can ease the transition of moving into nursing homes or other retirement communities.
But pets can do more than making the move-in process less stressful; they can make the stay more enjoyable, too. Research associates pets with self-reported (i.e., subjective) positive feelings and they may even reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in older adults.
For dementia patients (such as those with Alzheimer’s disease), animal-assisted therapy may increase positive social behavior and reduce aggressive tendencies.
There may also be physical benefits, like lower blood pressure, for senior pet owners. All in all, there are plenty of evidence-backed reasons for choosing a senior living community that’s welcoming not just for your loved ones, but Fido as well.
Have you ever noticed how most memory care centers have aquariums or small aviaries? There is a reason for that!
Researchers have found that the presence of fish, for example, may help quell aggression in dementia patients and even improve their eating habits. Evidence also suggests that the presence of birds—specifically birdsong—and other natural noises and sights can help reduce dementia-related aggression.
So, even if your loved one does not have their own pet or cannot bring theirs with them, they may still be able to reap the physical and mental benefits of having animals nearby if their new senior housing incorporates aviaries or aquariums into their layouts.
Benefits of pet ownership or animal-assisted therapy for seniors includes the following:
In addition to allowing pet ownership, many senior living communities also offer pet therapy programs. These programs are designed to help participants reach certain physical and mental health goals.
It’s important for family members to verify that the program itself is safe. This means that the therapy animals should be vaccinated as well as properly trained and certified as therapy animals. Additionally, staff members should have training to properly handle the animals.
Not every senior care location allows animals, and pet policies vary depending on the exact location. That said, the following are typical pet policy guidelines:
You’ve checked that the facility itself is safe. Now, keep the following in mind when deciding if your loved one would best thrive at a pet-friendly senior housing.
Fido’s well-being is a factor you can’t ignore, even if you’re prioritizing your loved one. Ask yourself the following questions:
Most senior care locations require residents to sign a document that outlines who takes custody of the animal in these situations, so it’s important to start thinking about these scenarios now.
If a facility is pet-friendly, odds are likely that more people than just your loved one will have a furry friend with them. That’s why it’s important to consider how well-behaved the pet is. If the animal is perfectly nice to your loved one but fights other animals nearby, your loved one’s pet might not be a good fit for such a community.
Pets aren’t cheap. Besides food, grooming, and veterinary care, you also have to factor in pet deposits and monthly pet fees into your loved one’s budget.
The following are important questions to ask of any pet-friendly assisted living facility:
Making the decision to move a loved one into a senior living facility is never easy; we know this. That’s why we want to make the whole process just a little bit easier. Our database is full of thousands of independent living, assisted living, and memory care facilities across the United States, which makes it easy to find senior care locations—including pet-friendly senior living communities—near your loved one today.