Sometimes, there is nothing better than having a loving and caring animal companion to spend your time with. Whether with a new pet or an older family pet, pet ownership while aging in place can have tremendous benefits for older adults. This blog post will talk about the physical and mental benefits that an aging adult can receive from owning a pet during their golden years.
Owning A Pet As You Age
Owning a pet as you age is by no means as easy as when we were younger, but the benefits that can be gained are hard to ignore. Pet ownership as an older adult has been found by many studies as an effective means of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and provides numerous emotional benefits. If you are considering getting a pet while aging in place or feel that a loved one would benefit from an animal companion, keep reading this article. Below, we will discuss the physical and mental benefits that pet ownership provides aging adults.
The Physical And Mental Benefits Of Pet Ownership
There is no denying the fact that owning a pet naturally makes us more active and healthier. Pet ownership comes with an array of daily responsibilities such as feeding, walking and cleaning among others. For senior dog owners, these animals require a lot of daily exercise. Older adults that regularly walk their dogs can notice sustained levels of mobility and on average, walk 22 minutes longer a day than those seniors without pets. If you are more of a cat or a bird person, even the actions of feeding and cleaning up after your pet help you to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.
However, it is the mental benefits of pet ownership that are the most rewarding. It is known that aging adults are more prone to loneliness and social isolation as they get older. This can be especially true for those individuals whose families have moved away or loved ones have passed. However, pet ownership has been proven to alleviate this.
Pets make great companions and have a unique ability to provide emotional support to their owners. Spending as little as 15 minutes with a pet has been proven to lower blood pressure, reduce stress and improve feelings of depression. Owning a pet as an older adult can make aging in place much more enjoyable and increases an individual’s happiness levels on a daily basis.
Finding The Perfect Pet As A Senior Citizen
Choosing the perfect pet as a senior citizen involves research and a lot of consideration. As much as we would all like to go and adopt our dream animal, pet ownership in our later years can come with some limitations and these need to be kept in mind. For example, if you have limited mobility then a cat, bird or rabbit may be a better option for you. These animals are often calmer and require less maintenance. If you have limited living space, then a dog who requires a big backyard to run around in won’t be a good fit.
If you are thinking of adopting a dog, make sure to research which dog breeds are best for senior adults. Some breeds are known for their high energy levels and may be too much to handle in our later years. Consider a smaller breed such as a Corgi or a Cavalier King Charles. These breeds have a medium energy level but won’t overwhelm you physically either. Although a puppy’s high energy and excitable nature can raise our happiness levels, they aren’t the most suitable choice for an aging adult. Adopting an older dog is often recommended.
Caring For Your Pet While Aging In Place
Pet ownership can help aging adults keep a regular routine. The tasks required to look after a pet on a daily basis are repetitive and help older adults establish a daily schedule. Caring for pets has been linked to a slowing down of the aging process in seniors. However, like us our pets can also be prone to illnesses so it is important to make sure that you include any medication as part of your daily routine.
Aging in place with a pet can be an extremely rewarding experience but unfortunately, providing pet care may not always be the easiest when we get older. Our pet’s health is just as important as ours and for this reason, you should always designate a family member or neighbour who can help you look after pet care. When a time comes that we can’t look after our pets fully by ourselves whether due to illness or other reasons, knowing that someone we trust can help to check in and help to look after our pet will provide us with peace of mind.
Pets And Aging Adults: Creating A Beautiful Bond In Later Years
The beautiful bond that a human and animal can create is undeniable and this is especially true for aging adults. Pet ownership as an older adult provides numerous benefits including a healthier lifestyle, increased happiness and daily companionship. However, the most beneficial of all is the unconditional love that a pet and its owner share. This unconditional love will provide many wonderful memories for older pet owners as they age in place.