Pets Can Enhance a Senior’s Life

It turns out that being a pet owner can provide a range of benefits to seniors including helping them to live longer, healthier and more enjoyable lives. One clinical study done several years ago tracked heart disease survivors after they were discharged from the hospital. Studying survivors’ medical histories, lifestyles, families, and relationships, it found that, "The presence of a pet was the strongest social predictor of survival...not just for lonely or depressed people, but everyone - independent of marital status and access to social support from human beings." 

Another study done by the American Psychological Association found pets provide an important source of social support to their elderly owners. Researchers explain that senior pet owners “fared better on several well-being (e.g., greater self-esteem, more exercise) and individual-difference (e.g., greater conscientiousness, less fearful attachment) measures.” 

It may be the benefits come from the fact that pets offer unconditional affection and companionship. Also a pet requires seniors to stay engaged in the day-to-day process of caring for the animal as they need to feed, groom, walk and clean up after their pet. 

If you are thinking of getting a pet for an elderly family member, it is recommended that you consider the person’s physical health and personality. AgingCare.com says you should also take into account the following: has the person owned a pet before; does the animal have a good temperament; and will owning a pet cause a financial hardship? 

At MorningStar of Santa Fe, we understand that our residents do not want to leave behind their pet when they decide to move into an assisted living community, which is why we welcome pets. Please give us a call to learn more about our pet guidelines as well as to check on pricing to learn more about suite configurations and floorplans. We are scheduled to open by the end of the year. 

MorningStar of Santa Fe offers the very best in senior living with our distinct mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true “home” for residents. Situated on the west side of town, we invite you to give us a call or stop by our onsite Information Center for more details about the finest assisted living in Santa Fe, NM.

Sources:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21728449

petsfortheelderly.org

agingcare.com/Articles/benefits-of-elderly-owning-pets-113294.htm