The Healing Power of Pets

By Barbara Ballinger, AgingCare.com

For elderly pet owners, who often live alone or in group facilities, pets can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure, increase social interaction and physical activity and help them learn.

“A new pet can stimulate someone to read up on an animal or breed, which can be very mentally stimulating and important at that age,” says Dr. Katharine Hillestad, a veterinarian with the office of Doctors Foster and Smith in Rhinelander, Wis., which provides online advice and retails pet supplies and pharmaceuticals.

Pets provide other intangibles. “Dogs—and other pets—live very much in the here and now. They don’t worry about tomorrow. And tomorrow can be very scary for an older person. By having an animal with that sense of now, it tends to rub off on people,” says Dr. Jay P. Granat, a New Jersey psychotherapist.

And pets can reduce depression and lessen loneliness. “Older pet owners have often told us how incredibly barren and lonely their lives were without their pet’s companionship, even when there were some downsides to owning an active pet,” says Linda Anderson, who with husband Allen founded the Angel Animals Network in Minneapolis. The couple speaks about the joys of pet ownership and has authored books.

In Angel Dogs: Divine Messengers of Love (New World Library, 2005), the Andersons tell about Bonnie, a golden retriever Marjorie and Richard Douse adopted, which became an indispensable family member. “We never felt alone when Bonnie was in the house. As we aged and tended to go out less, she provided us with loving companionship,” the Douses say in the Anderson’s book.

Psychologist Penny B. Donnenfeld, who brings her golden retriever mix Sandee to her New York City office, has even witnessed her ability to rev up elder owners’ memories. “I’ve seen those with memory loss interact and access memories from long ago,” she says. “Having a pet helps the senior focus on something other than physical problems and negative preoccupations about loss or aging.”

Pets benefit, too, particularly when older folks adopt older pets. “These lucky pets go from the pound to paradise. Since most of the adopters are retired, they have lots of time to devote to a previously unwanted pet,” says Chicago veterinarian Tony Kremer, who with his wife Meg operates Help Save Pets—Humane Society, which operates adoption centers.

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The Healing Power of Pets originally appeared on AgingCare.com.

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Read more: Family, General Health, Health, Mental Wellness, Pets

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Cheryl B.

4:39AM PDT on Oct 3, 2012

thanks

October 3
send a green star

Dale O.

8:22AM PDT on Jul 31, 2012

A companion animal brings much joy to people be they senior, single, young, middle aged or married/living together.

Ginger T is "furious" with the idea of seniors having cats/dogs because she reads about cases of some animals being dumped when a senior dies. She states that for older people to own pets is cruel because the senior may well die.

Live in the real world Ginger! Even a 54 year old man driving home is at risk such as when some idiot passing on a double line crashed into him and killed my brother. He was not single but he could well have been. Some seniors live to be 100 and can still walk around the block better than some couch bound 30 year old! Who the hell are you to judge who can and cannot own a pet? Many families do take in the pet, caring for them after a senior or a younger person in their 20s dies of unforeseen causes. I am 56 and plan to have companion cats all my life even though I am allergic and love my blind sixteen year old cat! Many dumped pets come from people in their younger years.

It is helpful if we all have a plan in place be it an emergency or death to look after our beloved pets if something should happen to us. Most of us do not do this but we need to. A pet is beloved and helps us be happier in mind, body and spirit.

July 31
send a green star

Walter G.

2:45PM PDT on Jun 16, 2012

I live in my own home, but as most of my friends have died, it is now a secluded life. My rescued pets have helped so very much, and they beat expensive doctors.

June 16
send a green star

Eternal G.

6:44PM PDT on May 27, 2012

Couldn't stand life without them.

May 27
send a green star

Carrie-Anne B.

6:15AM PDT on May 20, 2012

great article, thanks for sharing :)

May 20
send a green star

LMj S.

10:25PM PDT on May 19, 2012

thank you..

May 19
send a green star

lesley t.

6:26AM PDT on May 16, 2012

Everyone should be made aware of this. I am of the opinion that many elderly people who need to move into nursing homes and must give up their pets have just given up their lives. They begin to withdraw into themselves and feel alone and unloved, and they need to give love as well.