Selfless companionship with almost no demands is something any furry friend brings along. Owning a pet can play an important role in living a happy life and healthy ageing for an elderly person. As we age, things that occupied us in the past such as careers, family, and children etc may move far away. At this time a pet friend can bring pleasure, beat loneliness, and help boost a sense of self-worth. And more than that, as one chooses to own a pet, you are giving a happy home to a four-legged that may otherwise become a stray or an abandoned one.
Also Read: Feeding Your Dog Properly? Meal Habits That Could Impact You And Your Pet’s Health
Pets come with some powerful health benefits. As per science a dog, cat, or other animal can help relieve depression and anxiety, lower stress, and improve cardiovascular health besides easing loneliness, encouraging exercise and playfulness. In the last few years, it has been seen that pets have evolved to become attuned to human behaviour and they understand emotions. Dogs, for example, can understand words and even interpret their human friend's voice, body language, and several gestures.
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Why Keep A Pet?
For an ageing person, here are some benefits that a dog, cat, or other pet can bring:
They Help Elderly Folks Stay connected. Maintaining social connections is not easy as one grows older. Retirement can take away close friends and family members. When old, making new friends is not as easy as it would have been in younger days. Dogs specifically are a great way for older adults to initiate conversations, meet new people, and socialize with them.
Pets Are Energy Boosters: Dogs, cats, and other pets encourage playfulness and exercise. They help the elderly to come out of their cocoon. This helps to boost energy and keep the mind active.
They Can Help Fight Alzheimer’s
A person suffering from Alzheimer’s may exhibit behavioral problems due to their inability to deal with stress. A great source of nonverbal communication, research says that Alzheimer’s patients are less prone to stress and have fewer outbursts of anxiety if they have a pet at home.
Also Read: Pet Care: Make Regular Health-Check-up A Practice To Keep Them Free From Diseases
Problems When Owning A Pet In Old Age
While pet ownership may have mental and physical benefits and improve an elderly person’s life, owning a pet is a major commitment and needs time and effort to keep them happy and healthy. The responsibility may last through the animal’s lifetime, and it could be ten to twelve years if you adopt a dog. Moreover, keeping a pet comes with significant costs like food, veterinary care, grooming costs, toys, etc. An aged person, on a limited fixed income are not able to cope with the expense of pet ownership. It can result in anxiety and stress. Most dogs need to take for walks and exercise to help them stay calm. Cats, dogs, rabbits, and other animals too need ample daily care and attention.
Points To Ponder Before Adoption
An elderly person who is struggling with age-related illness must think about all the above-mentioned pros and cons before thinking about pet adoption. Pets carry health risks as well. Some diseases can be transmitted from cats and dogs to humans. An elderly person with an existing health condition such as pet allergies may have problems with a new animal friend at home and it can cause more harm than help. Keep all the factors in mind before considering this alternative.
References:
- Effectiveness of the dog therapy for patients with dementia - a systematic review
1Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6731615/#:~:text=Research%20shows%20therapy%20dogs%20can%20help%20Alzheimer's%20patients%20with%20sundown%20syndrome.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3351901/
