How Animals Help Seniors Improve Quality of Life

Pets can absolutely light up a home. They bring joy, comfort, and a best buddy to the people who love them and care for them. For seniors, having a pet can make a huge difference in their overall quality of life. The benefits that pets provide to most homes can be transformative for aging adults. Combining pets and other solutions, like home care, can offer seniors more of the support they need to make their lives happier and healthier.

Emotional Benefits of Pet Companions

Pets offer the people who love them unconditional companionship and love. People form deep emotional bonds with their pets. These bonds are especially valuable for seniors who are living alone. Having a pet gives seniors a sense of purpose and offers joy every single day. There are routines involved in caring for a pet, too, which become a big part of a senior’s daily life.

Reducing Loneliness and Isolation

Seniors who live alone are more likely to isolate themselves, which can then lead to loneliness. Having a pet offers companionship, but it also offers a way for seniors to connect with other people. Pets are great conversation starters and can attract the attention of other people. Seniors with pets are more likely to talk with other people who also have pets, which helps them to forge new bonds with other people.

Encouraging Physical Activity

Seniors who embrace physical activity are in a better position to hang onto mobility, strength, and general well-being. Having a pet gives seniors a reason to stay active. They may take dogs for walks, for instance, and play with other pets in more active ways. Home care providers can offer support to keep seniors focused on remaining as active as possible, too, especially if seniors have spent a lot of time being more sedentary.

Boosting Cognitive Function

Caring for a pet requires attention to details and problem-solving skills. These are areas that seniors may not be exercising as much as they used to because of the changes they’ve experienced in their lives. There are feeding schedules to work out, health issues to monitor, and often training considerations as well. All of this can help seniors to be more mindful and present, too.

Supporting a Healthy Home Environment

Often if seniors are depressed or feeling detached from the world around them, their home environment can start to suffer. Home care services can help seniors to stay on top of tasks that are becoming more difficult to manage. But having a pet in the house can also inspire seniors to want to make the house as safe and healthy as possible. This can be a great idea to consider for seniors who need to remove clutter and obstacles, because they want to make sure their pets have a safe and healthy home, too.

Having pets around promotes both physical and emotional health benefits for aging adults. Adding home care services to the mix ensures that seniors have the help they need to keep their households running smoothly.

Reference
https://www.webmd.com/pets/dogs/best-dog-breeds-for-seniors

If you are considering home care in Las Vegas, NV for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616