Pets and Older Adults
Harrison visits patients in the hospital. Those in Pediatrics and in Behavioral Health especially look forward to visits from the dog. As some of you know, I serve as a chaplain on-call at the hospital for some weekend shifts. Harrison’s office is down the hall from the Pastoral Care office.
Kudos to Stamford Hospital for focusing on the healing aspect of animals.
I was thinking about all of this as I saw a notice about Animal Awareness Month, celebrated during the third week of June.
Animals bring so many benefits to people and especially to Older Adults. Pets can play a significant role in the health of seniors in a lot of different ways – some you’re probably aware of and some you may not have considered.
Benefits of Owning a Pet
- Physical health – Care for a pet requires physical movement. Walking a dog is a great way for Older Adults to keep active. It offers the advantages of contact with the natural world; it strengthens walking and balance. Even feeding a pet requires reaching and carrying. All of these contribute to cardiovascular health and to continued mobility. All of this can give someone a sense of purpose. Which leads us to…
- Emotional health – Pets support emotional health in a number of ways. Especially for those who are living alone, pets address both loneliness and isolation through their companionship. Pets offer the unconditional love and affection we all need. They can reduce stress just by their presence. They can also boost mood and provide a buffer from depression.
- Cognitive function – A pet’s need for predictability – knowing it will be fed at a certain time, knowing it’s time to go to sleep – helps its owner maintain a routine and a schedule. The mind needs to keep alert and engaged with a dependent pet.
- Social interaction – I have a friend who loves dogs. In summer, she likes to go to the Dog Beach to meet the dogs – and their owners. Meeting other pet owners (or wanna-be owners) provides a ready topic for conversation.
Caution: Owning a pet is not for everyone and there are concerns to be explored before getting a new one including cost, time availability, travel plans, and more.
Animal Awareness Month (some places referred to as Animal Rights’ Awareness Month) asks us to be aware of the care animals need. Some notices suggest fostering or adopting a pet from a shelter. In whatever way you acquire it, having a pet can be truly beneficial for Older Adults and a real guardian of a senior’s health in so many ways.