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How Pet Therapy Has Improved Senior Quality of Life

Written by: Cypress HomeCare Solutions

Animal assisted therapy can make a big difference in the health, wellbeing, and disposition of seniors using private duty home care in Paradise Valley.

A domestic animal acting as an elder companion adds meaning and purpose to a senior’s daily life and activities. Ownership animal assisted therapy, where a senior living at home has a pet, provides a friend and charge for a senior — pets must be cared for and exercised, giving seniors a way to get up and be active while feeling needed by their elder companion. Taking care of a pet can encourage a senior to get out of the house, reducing boredom. It also gives seniors a way to connect with other people, as pets are great magnets for other pet owners and animal lovers! This method of therapy is a great option but only if a senior is healthy and able to take care of the animal themselves.

An elder companion pet does not have to be large — even a fish or bird can offer some benefits while taking space and budget constraints into consideration. Any elder companion animal should be well suited to the senior who will be handling grooming and exercise, and paying for food, veterinary care, and other pet related expenses. Both the therapy animal and the senior should be comfortable and safe if using animal assisted therapy.

Visitation Therapy

If owning an animal is not an option, aging seniors can still receive the emotional, mental and physical benefits of animal assisted therapy, by requesting pet therapy visitation from their home care agency. A pet acting as an elder companion is able to lower stress levels in a senior while boosting happiness, thus decreasing blood pressure, heart rate, and chances of depression.

While some senior residences allow visits from assisted therapy pets, elder companion animals are easiest to have visit within an individual home setting, while a senior is receiving private duty home care in Paradise Valley. Because the senior is in their own space, an elder companion animal can be brought in without worrying about allergies or other complications a group home setting may pose.

Animals offer unconditional (and sometimes exuberant!) love and companionship to seniors using private duty home care in Paradise Valley, giving them a reason to smile and boosting their self-esteem.

If you are arranging private duty home care in Paradise Valley for a senior relative, ask the home care agency or caregiver if animal assisted therapy is an option.

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Call (602) 264-8009 or contact us to learn more about home care services.

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