Adopt a Cat Month

Home Care in Montauk NY

June is both Alzheimer’ and Brain Awareness Month and Adopt a Cat Month. While these two events might not seem like they are interconnected in any way, they could be in the context of your parent’s home care experience. Furry friends are not just wonderful to have around because they are nice to pet and make your parent smile, though these are absolutely valid reasons to add a cat to your parent’s daily life. Research has shown that regularly interacting with and caring for an animal can actually be highly beneficial for the brain and making a meaningful difference for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Though the benefits of having a pet are often focused on dogs, many of the same benefits also apply to having a cat. These include:

• Easing irritability. Irritability, short tempers, and other difficult emotions are common among those who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. This can be hard on the senior as well as you as their family caregiver and their in home health care services provider. Interacting with a cat can ease these feelings and make your parent happier, more positive, and more cooperative with care. Not only does this make the care experience more pleasant, it can actually make it more effective as well.
• Avoid isolation and loneliness. A cat can help your parent to avoid the potentially dangerous effects of persistent loneliness and isolation from two different angles. The first is simply that having the pet around can help your parent to feel less alone and disconnected. The second is that having this animal around encourages more feelings of calm and confidence, which can make it easier for your parent to engage in social activities outside of the home.
• Physical activity. Depression, anxiety, loneliness, and just the cognitive effects of Alzheimer’s disease can make it so that your senior does not get the level of physical activity that they need in order to stay healthy and strong. Having a pet is a simple but effective way to encourage more physical activity. Caring for a cat requires cleaning the litter box, feeding and providing water, and even grooming. All of these help to get the body moving while also instilling a sense of responsibility and importance in your aging parent. Their home care provider can be a valuable source of assistance in this regard, helping them to keep track of the tasks that they need to complete and guiding them through them as well as providing assistance to ensure that they are done properly.

If you are considering adopting a cat for your aging parent, use these tips to help make it a smooth transition:

• Adopt a cat from a shelter rather than purchasing one. Not only will this save a life but you can feel more confident in the health and wellbeing of the animal.
• Make sure that your parent has all of the necessary supplies before bringing the cat home. This includes a litter box, food and water bowls, food, toys, and litter.
• Supervise the care of the cat for the first several days to ensure that it is a good match for your aging parent and that they are able to take on this responsibility effectively and safely.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional home care in Montauk, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.

Source:  http://alzheimersproject.org/About-Us/News-Photos-and-Calendar/Latest-News/Pets-and-Dementia