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Pets in Senior Living Communities

It’s pretty common knowledge in assisted living communities that pets provide benefits to residents in senior living. Our furry cat and dog friends not only improve the quality of life for seniors, they can help ease the transition to a senior living community.

Moving into a senior living community from your home can be extremely overwhelming. It can be even more of a traumatic experience if you find out that your pet cannot come with you.

Laurel Parc recognizes the powerful relationship that exists between seniors and their furry companions and is a pet-friendly senior living community in Portland. Read more about the benefits of pets in senior living here:

Routine

Pets help give seniors purpose and add routine to their day. This is one of the biggest issues that a person is going to deal with when they are living in a senior living community. This is because it is going to be a big transition for the senior citizens. Depending on the pet, the routine can provide security and familiarity but you will have to remember that they are going to need to go outside regularly and to be feed.

Socialization

Pets encourage seniors to socialize with each other once they reside in an independent living community in Portland. When a senior transitions into a senior living community, they can get depressed, regress into themselves and become lonely.

There are even certain times of the year that it is going to make this even harder, but with pets in senior living communities, it encourages residents to get out and meet the people in their community. Dogs are great for this- they’re social creatures that attract attention and can act as an icebreaker for seniors.

Mental Health

There is no doubt that owning a pet improves a person’s mental health. Pets decrease stress in seniors while providing comfort and affection. The endorphins that result from these interactions can work to lower blood pressure (and make you feel pretty good, too).

Lowering stress prevents illness, increases quality of life, and improves overall wellness and body function.

Physical Health

Our furry companions can also improve the physical health of the senior citizens who live in centers for independent living. For example, walking a dog encourages seniors to get more physical activity and fresh air.

They can also throw the ball around at the park to get even more exercise- which is mutually beneficial to both senior and pet. Plus, it is going to be fun for everyone and no one is going to realize that they are exercising.

Security

Dogs can provide a sense of security to elders. It’s one more way to be notified of visitors, alerted to things going on, or possibly other emergencies

Pets are great for alerting seniors to things that are happening around their living space.

Mood

Pets can have an incredible effect on a person’s mood. This is something that is very important especially when a senior is trying to recover from a traumatic event that happened to them.

Having a pet helps people to readjust to the independent living for seniors community they’re now in. The pets can even be good for patients who are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer that they might be suffering from because it helps them to get better.

Loneliness

Pets can help ease the amount of loneliness that a senior may have. Seniors spend a lot of time by themselves. More than likely, a person meet a lot of their friends while they were at work so when they are no longer working, they are going to miss out on meeting the new people at work.

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