Benefits of Adopting a Pet For Seniors
April 15, 2020 | Benefits of Adopting a Pet For Seniors
Adopting a pet is beneficial for people of all ages as they provide joy, excitement, and an endless abundance of compassion to their owners. Owning a dog can be challenging at times, especially during the training phase, however, their benefits far outweigh the hard time they may give you. A pet can make the quality of anyone’s life better but can be especially beneficial for seniors.
Seniors are often retired, making them the perfect candidates for owning and training a dog. Seniors can benefit greatly from adopting a pet; this post will detail the top 3 ways that seniors can benefit from a furry companion.
What are the Benefits of Adopting a Pet for Seniors?
It’s important to point out that seniors should only adopt a dog if they feel that they are physically capable of taking care of one. An employee from a retirement community in PA also pointed out that it’s important for seniors to make sure that the place in which they are living allows pets and whether or not there are any breed restrictions. With that being said, here are the benefits of adopting a pet for seniors.
Pets Will Keep Seniors Active
Pets are one of the best ways to keep seniors active in their elderly years. It’s common for seniors to fall into a lackadaisical lifestyle as they age which can be attributed to a number of things such as the loss of a significant other, the loss of motivation, or simply the lack of want to get up and stay active. No matter the reason, a lifestyle that does not feature activity can result in obesity, joint and muscle issues, and even bone discomfort. However, owning a pet will combat this inactive lifestyle.
Owning a dog will keep seniors active because of the amount of care that they require. Depending on the breed of dog, the amount of activity will vary, however, all dogs require to be walked, fed, taken to the bathroom and cleaned. Dogs will get seniors up and moving, helping them to live an active lifestyle.
Pets Provide Companionship and Purpose
Unfortunately, it’s common for seniors to feel anxious and lonely, maybe even without a purpose, if he or she has lost a significant other or other family members, or if he or she experienced a life-changing injury or procedure. With these feelings, a senior may find it hard to even get out of bed in the morning. A pet can help a senior deal with these emotions.
Due to the level of affection pets require, along with the level of care, seniors will feel as if they have more of a purpose. Pets will provide feelings of happiness and positivity for seniors.
Dogs Will Increase Social Interactions
Seniors often don’t socialize much as they should, especially if they don’t have the desire or a reason to talk to others outside of their home. This kind of behavior can be detrimental to a senior’s mental and emotional state. However, dogs are a great way to increase a senior’s socialization and interactions as well.
Dogs need to be walked daily, which is one of the best ways for seniors to talk to other people and get out of isolation. Seniors can talk to other dog walkers as well as people at the dog park. Additionally, pets need to be taken to the vet so will get seniors out of the house in that regard as well. With this added layer of socialization, seniors may even make close companions that they can relate to or friends that are in the same situation as them.
Seniors Will Benefit From Adopting a Pet
Overall, seniors will greatly benefit from adopting a pet and should do proper research to find the kind of pet that will be right for them and their needs and capabilities. As seniors look at what kind of pet is right for them, they should also look into rescuing from a shelter; rescuing will save the pets’ life, while also saving a senior’s life too.
About the Author
Kelsey Simpson enjoys writing about things that can help others. She lives in South Jersey and is the proud companion to two German Shepherds and spends her free time volunteering in dog shelters.
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