Saturday, November 26, 2011

Deciding Whether or Not Animal Therapy is Suitable for Your Elderly Loved One


Deciding Whether or Not Animal Therapy is Suitable for Your Elderly Loved One
Just as children enjoy playing with puppies and kittens, elderly people can also benefit from owning a pet. Pet owners have a sense of purpose because they have an animal to care for. Pets can be a senior’s true companion and loyal friend, always willing to provide them a warm snuggle and a listening ear. It is no wonder then, that there are studies proving that elderly people with pets are more likely to stay healthy, enjoy life more and live longer than those who don’t have pets. When pet ownership is included in an elder care program, seniors are found to have better physical and mental well-being.
If you are a senior caregiver, you may already be considering some form of animal therapy for one or more of your patients. However, before going ahead with this, it would be wise to do a couple things first. To begin with, if you don’t know the feelings of the senior under your care towards animals, you obviously need to talk to them about it. In addition to asking whether or not your patient would want to have a pet, you need to examine if this individual is in good enough health to have an animal living with them.
If owning a pet suits the senior you are caring for, the pet can surely enhance their life. So once you’ve decided this is the right step in your elder care program, you can begin your search for a good-mannered pet at the local animal shelter. Owning a shelter pet can be a mutually beneficial situation-providing much needed companionship to the senior and rescuing the animal from the shelter, where it would eventually be put to sleep if no one adopted it. 
If it’s not possible to bring home a pet, you can still make the animal therapy a part of your senior care by bringing the elderly person to a senior center where animals come several days a week. This can be a great way to enjoy the company of an animal without the responsibility that goes along with caring for them. Another fun activity that can bring seniors in regular contact with animals is enrolling in a dog grooming class. But before looking into anything like that, remember the rules above; does your patient have the inclination and the capacity to participate in such an activity?  
Although not all seniors are animal lover and/or have the ability to care for animals themselves, including pet therapy in your elder

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