Editor’s Note: I know firsthand the power of pets, and how they can affect the health span of people. My paternal grandfather died when I was eight years old, leaving my grandmother a widow. She passed, well into her 90s, when I was in my mid-20s.
The years between these events she lived in the family home alone, with the exception of her small dog ... actually, a succession of small dogs. They were all named Sam.
Each Sam was grandma’s constant companion, the reason, as they say, she got up every day. She treated her dogs like a family member, and when she would walk up the street to the small neighborhood market for her groceries each week, those groceries always included a Sunday dinner pork chop for both her and Sam. It probably wasn’t the healthiest diet for the dog, but it was what kept grandma going. She and her Sams had a wonderful life of companionship and love for so many years.. It was a tribute to the power of pets.
Pets bring much joy to the lives they touch. So it should come as no surprise that the 2021-2022 National Pet Owners Survey, which was conducted by the American Pet Products Association, found that about 90.5 million families in the United States own a pet. This is up from the 87 million who reported owning a pet in 2019, the year before the coronavirus pandemic.
Pets offer companionship and unconditional love. While they are fitting for any family, seniors may find that having a pet is especially beneficial. The organization A Place for Mom, which helps match families with senior living residences, says pets provide a comfort system that produces measurable health results.
Pets and your health
Caring for pets and being around them can produce a chemical chain reaction in the brain that may help to lower stress hormones while also increasing production of the feel-good hormone serotonin.
This is not the only health benefit pets may provide. A recent study from the Mayo Clinic, which looked at 1,800 people between the ages of 25 and 64 who had healthy hearts, found that almost half owned a dog. Having a dog was likely to spur heart-healthy behaviors, like exercising with the pet, eating well and having ideal blood sugar levels.
Pets also provide emotional support and companionship that can help seniors including those who may be divorced or widowed feel more secure and happy. The National Poll on Healthy Aging found that, among respondents who had pets, 88 percent said their pets helped them enjoy life, and 86 percent said their pets made them feel loved.
The many pet benefits
Seniors considering getting a pet can explore the many benefits to doing so.
Reduce pain: A 2012 study published in Pain Magazine found therapy dogs provided significant reduction in pain and emotional distress for chronic pain patients.
Feeling of purpose: Caring for an animal not only stimulates physical activity, but it also can give seniors a reason to get up and go, which equates to a feeling of purpose.
Altered focus: Having a pet can help seniors focus on something other than physical or mental health issues and preoccupations about loss or aging, according to New York-based psychologist Penny B. Donnenfeld.
Increased physical activity: Pets require care, and that interaction can get seniors moving more than if they didn’t have a pet.
Improved health: Ongoing research from Harvard Medical School has found dog owners have lower blood pressure, healthier cholesterol levels and lower risk of heart disease than those who don t own a dog.
Stick to routine: Caring for pets helps seniors maintain a routine. Having structure after retirement can be important to ward off risk of depression.
Staying on top of feeding, grooming and other pet needs also can help prevent cognitive decline.
Pets bring many benefits to their owners lives, and they may be the perfect remedy for seniors looking for a friend and purpose.
Article courtesy Metro Creative Graphics
