The Advantages of Pet Ownership for Seniors

Research continues to show a strong correlation between pet ownership and a number of benefits to seniors.  Everything from helping the elderly to stay physically active, to lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, providing companionship and making depression less likely are attributed to having a pet.  In fact there are several studies that indicate that patients with heart problems do better when they are responsible for a pet.

Not only do pets offer lots of affection and unconditional love but they can also help seniors cope with the loss of a loved one.  In an article from AgingCare.com, a New Jersey psychotherapist, Dr. Jay P. Granat, discusses some of the other intangibles that pets offer to the elderly.  He states that, "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."

At MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care at Arrowhead, we wholeheartedly agree that pets provide many benefits to seniors, which is why we are proud that our community is pet friendly.  Along with our residents’ pets, we also have a special house dog of our own that provides companionship and warmth throughout our entire community. 

Tallulah “LuLu”, an adorable Golden Doodle, is our gentle, loving house dog who is a big hit with all of our residents and staff.   Recently she celebrated her first birthday and even had a cake with bacon on the top!  Now that she is a little older and better behaved, she is permitted to roam the community without a leash and even attends exercise class in the mornings with our residents.

MorningStar at Arrowhead represents the best in senior living with a unique mission statement “to honor, to value, to invest.”  We have built our foundation on honoring God, valuing our seniors and hiring staff with a felt calling to serve to create a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. To experience firsthand the finest senior living in the Phoenix area, contact us to schedule a tour.

Sources:petsfortheelderly.org/articles.html

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