Senior Care: 4 Reasons Why Your Senior Could Benefit From Adopting A Dog

Senior Care: October is National Adopt A Shelter Dog month so if your senior needs some companionship it’s the perfect time to find a canine companion for them.

Dogs are fantastic friends for seniors. Seniors who have dogs tend to be less lonely, which is important. Loneliness is a big problem for seniors. It can increase the risk of developing dementia and heart disease. It can also increase the chances that seniors will have a stroke. The love and companionship that a dog provides will help seniors stay emotionally healthy. And having to take a dog for walks and make sure it gets food and water will help you’re senior stay physically healthy too. Having senior care on staff is a good way to be sure your senior takes good care of the dog.

Senior Care in Riverhead NY: Animals

Some of the other reasons why your senior should have a dog include:

Protection

Seniors who live at home alone are at a higher risk for things like break-ins or theft. A good security system can help manage the risk of a senior living alone but a dog living on the property helps too. Your senior loved one is going to be safer aging in place in their home if they have a dog that will be able to bark and scare off anyone that is in the neighborhood and has bad intentions.

To Alert People If There Is A Problem

Seniors fall. Often. And when seniors fall they are not always in a position where they can call someone right away. A dog can help alert neighbors that your senior loved one needs help. Dogs can even be trained to run to a neighbor if something is wrong or to press a call button so that your senior loved one can get the help they need. A dog doesn’t need to be a service dog to learn how to do some basic tasks around the house like getting things that your senior loved one needs or press a button that summons fire and emergency crews.

To Help Around The House

Seniors who need help around the house should rely on a senior home care provider to do things like help with the laundry or clean the kitchen. But in addition to a senior care provider a senior’s dog can be trained to do things like open drawers, fetch the remote or a pair of slippers, and perform other small tasks including being a steadying object for your senior loved one when they are getting out of a chair or getting out of bed.

Senior Care: To Give Your Senior Parent Purpose

Seniors need purpose as much as they need companionship and help with tasks. Training a dog will give your senior loved one the purpose they have been lacking. Your senior and the dog can learn together the best dog training techniques so that the dog and your senior understand each other. Seniors will really enjoy being able to teach their dog tricks and show them off to all their friends. Hiring senior care is a great way to help your senior care for the dog.

If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring Senior Care in Riverhead, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.

Sources:
https://www.aspca.org/news/make-difference-pets-need-during-adopt-shelter-dog-month
https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/lonely-older-adults.html