Pets in Assisted Livingby Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger 16 Sep 2008 09:42 AM More and more assisted living facilities are welcoming pets along with people! I personally think this is a great idea. Pets have such a positive effect on people -- mentally, physically, and emotionally. A transition to an assisted living facility can be difficult; if a pet eases the way, I'm all for it. However, there are some drawbacks to allowing pets to live in a facility. The cons of pets in assisted living:
I think the benefits of having pets in assisted living facilities far outweigh the drawbacks. Assisted living facilities all over are reporting the amazing positive impact of pets on the residents. Residents who are depressed or non-communicative are coming out of their shells when a cat or dog is nearby. Some pets can even sense when a person needs a little extra attention. Studies have shown that pets can help reduce depression, relieve stress, and lower anxiety. In an assisted living situation for people with dementia and other chronic illnesses, pets can help re-engage an interest in everyday life and create opportunities to socialize. Pets can help ground a person whose mind is wandering away under the influence of Alzheimer's disease. I look at my grandmother as an example of that last one. When the dogs and I were still living with her, her interest in Moose and Lally bordered on obsession. Had the dogs eaten? Did they need to go out? Did they want a treat? Her day pretty much revolved around the dogs -- it gave her a sense of purpose and direction. One other drawback of pets in an assisted living: what happens to a pet whose owner passes away?
Learn more about Aimee Amodio  Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover... Relevanthealth tags User Comments Memartha (306) 20 Oct 2008 04:02 PMMost dear little cats love nothing better than purring and being stroked in someone's lap. Well-behaved dogs just KNOW they're bringing life. This is a good thing. Keeps the sunshine coming, a break in the day. WhitG (5) 07 May 2009 03:50 PMEveryone should be able to have a pet if they'd like, especially if it would benefit their health. Check out Delta Society's link, they have a list of websites describing all of the benefits that pets can bring to the elderly. http://www.deltasociety.org/Page.aspx?pid=334 Community Tags assisted living, pets and seniors, pets and health, working animals Discuss this article
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