How an Elderly Care Provider Can Help Your Parent Keep Their Pet at Home
June 8, 2016
Elderly Care in Belmont CA
A pet can play an extremely important role in your aging parent's later years. Whether it is a dog or a cat, this furry friend can be a valuable companion as well as a source of stress relief and
emotional boosting, helping to improve and maintain your parent's health and quality of life. Unfortunately for many seniors, health challenges and limitations can make it difficult for them to keep taking care of their animals the way that they need to be taken care of. This can often mean that when a senior needs their furry companion the most, they might have to give them up. This can be devastating to your loved one and removes the ability for that animal to benefit them in their daily lives.
In this situation, an elderly care provider can be an incredible help. Starting a care relationship with an elderly health care services provider can mean that your parent not only gets to keep their pet at home with them, but that they can make the most of the benefits that that pet can offer.
Some of the ways that an elderly care provider can help your aging loved one keep their pet at home even when they are facing physical or cognitive challenges include:
- Creating and maintaining a schedule. Schedules are important for people, but they can be equally as important for animals. A senior with cognitive challenges may have difficulty remembering to handle the specific care tasks for their pet, including feeding, water, walking, or cleaning up after it. The elderly health care services provider can help them to create a schedule that works for them and for their pet, and then guide them into sticking to that schedule so that the pet remains healthy and happy.
- Help with specific care tasks. Even if your aging parent does not have difficulty remembering that they need to do certain things to take care of their pet, they may face challenges actually fulfilling those needs. They may not have the mobility, balance, or strength, for example, to take a dog for a walk or effectively clean out a litter box. The elderly care provider can step in to provide specific help with these tasks so that they are fulfilled completely, effectively, and safely. They can also modify these tasks or break them up into individual steps so that your parent still remains activity involved in the care of their pets and can maintain as much independence as possible while staying safe and healthy.
- Integrating the pet into daily care. A pet is not just about the care that your parent gives it, but about the benefits that having that pet around offer your parent. The care provider can tailor care approaches to integrate the pet so that your parent can enjoy the most benefits from having that animal. Daily exercise with your aging parent, for example, might include taking a walk or playing fetch with the animal, while a mentally stimulating activity could include baking homemade treats or making toys.