Professional Home Care Can Help Seniors With Pets
Pets have an extremely positive impact on the health and wellness of seniors. One of the benefits is elderly companionship, which helps to reduce feelings of social isolation, loneliness, depression, and cognitive decline. Pets also help seniors stay active and give them an added purpose in life.
However, certain physical or health limitations can make pet ownership difficult or nearly impossible for some individuals.
Professional senior care services can help by keeping older adults safe and comfortable at home while helping them tend to their furry friends.
Getting Help at Home with Pet Ownership
Seniors may develop health, cognitive, or mobility issues that make it challenging — or even unsafe — to look after a pet on their own. Because most living assistance facilities prohibit animals, an older adult may have to painfully say goodbye to their four-legged buddy if moving to a nursing home.
Senior home care services from Visiting Angels can be a better alternative.
Visiting Angels’ dedicated caregivers offer the following resources for seniors who own a pet:
- Reminders and scheduling support
A Visiting Angels’ caregiver will alert your senior to perform daily duties, including giving the pet food, water, and medication. A caregiver can assist with scheduling vet appointments, finding a mobile groomer, setting up automatic pet food deliveries, or hiring a neighborhood dog walker.
- Transportation assistance
Just like humans, pets need medical care, food, and supplies. If your senior is unable to drive, a Visiting Angels’ caregiver can provide transportation to vet appointments and pet stores and assist with shopping.
- Hazard and safety monitoring
Although pets can be loving companions, they can sometimes cause unsafe situations. For example, a pet’s food bowl or toys in the middle of the kitchen floor could create a tripping hazard. A senior with mobility issues who attempts to walk a large dog alone could get hurt. Additionally, pet messes that aren’t cleaned up properly could cause a health hazard. Having a Visiting Angels’ caregiver in the home can ensure your loved one’s pet isn’t becoming too much to manage.
Learn How Visiting Angels Can Help Seniors With Pet Care
In-home caregivers can make it possible for aging adults to enjoy the benefits of pet ownership by providing much-needed support to overcome age-related challenges. To learn more about how Visiting Angels can provide seniors with personal home care and pet care assistance, contact your local Visiting Angels agency for a no-cost, no-obligation home care consultation.