Pet Benefits For The Elderly
Certainly, pets such as dogs and cats improve the physical and mental health of the elderly. Animal therapies are well advanced in this field and prove that the elderly get many advantages from them.
Worrying about your pet for a walk, playing with it or feeding it, makes the elderly become active, do not feel alone and interact socially.
That’s why having a pet makes you feel good and, for the elderly, they can bring hundreds of physical, mental and social benefits, as they help lower blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, allow exercise, socialization and reduces loneliness.
For the elderly, a dog or cat is an excellent companion.
Physical health
According to several studies, people who own dogs tend to be more physically active and less obese. Adults over 65 years of age who have no health limitations need at least two hours of physical activity once a week.
Having a dog to walk, you can quickly get 30 minutes of daily walks, or at least 15, and you can quickly surpass this average.
In addition, other studies suggest that pet owners have lower blood pressure and lower heart rate than non-pet owners.
If the elderly person has a dog or cat, they are required to be on the move and play with it. Being active significantly improves people’s mood.
Also, for those elderly people who live alone, having an animal puts them in contact with other people and not just locked in a room watching TV.
It has been proven that if you have a dog, you are less likely to have a heart attack and increase your life span a year after having a heart attack.
Seniors, pet owners, while walking with a dog, exercise and ensure fewer visits to the doctor.
Emotional Health
As mentioned, having pets and playing with them has been proven to help eliminate stress. Furthermore, interacting with animals has been shown to be an effective form of alternative medicine for treating and combating depression. Your pet will always be there to hear you.
You are not alone. Note that animals can be very comforting to those elderly people who have recently lost a spouse or loved one.
If you have a dog or cat, you are probably aware of the well-being it causes you, you talk to it, sleep with it.
In fact, there are studies that show that having a pet significantly improves emotional health in those who divorce, become widowed, or experience any separation.
On the other hand, pets, especially dogs, often help seniors to socialize with each other.
When you go for a walk with a dog, you meet other people, surely they also walk their dogs and talk about the breed, age or name of the pet, and how to avoid answering about our best friend?
In nursing homes, the presence of a dog is associated with less need for medication, improved physical function and improved vital signs, even when patients suffer from dementia.
The list of benefits includes decreased depression, increased participation, well-being, nutrient intake, and increased social interaction.
Some researches
Hundreds of scientific studies have shown how animals can brighten the lives of the elderly and help significantly improve their health.
A line of research on aging therapies demonstrates how pets generate hormones that affect mood.
Research in this field suggests that hormonal changes occur naturally when humans and dogs interact and can help people better cope with depression and certain stress-related disorders.
Preliminary results show that stroking a pet for a few minutes triggers the release of serotonin, as well as prolactin and oxytocin that help people feel good.
Finally, other studies investigate how animals can help improve memory in the elderly, as it has been shown that increasing the level of stress increases memory loss in the elderly.
