Are you trying to help your elderly loved one feel better? Maybe they are very stressed or anxious all the time and you want to help them reduce those feelings without medication. Your elderly loved one could be depressed, as well. They could also need some help being more physically active. There are numerous ways that you could help with all these things. Have you ever considered pet therapy for your elderly loved one? It could help.
Increased Happiness and Less Stress
For most elderly adults who have participated in pet therapy, they have more happiness in their life and less stress. This is because spending time with a pet is different than spending time with a human. There aren’t social expectations when spending time with a pet like there are when spending time with humans. Without these expectations, your elderly loved one can let down the walls they have built up and just be happy and content.
Mentally Stimulating
Another way that pet therapy could help your elderly loved one is by stimulating them mentally. There are many reasons for this. The process of getting into pet therapy can stimulate your elderly loved one. You or their home care providers need to take them to see their doctor. They will need to talk to pet therapy specialists and interact with different pets to find the right fit. In addition, having a pet will help your elderly loved one to work on planning and thinking critically.
Physical Benefits
Your elderly loved one could gain some physical benefits with pet therapy, as well. They will need to move around more to take care of their pet. If they have a dog, for instance, they will need to take him or her on walks and play with them.
Reduced Loneliness
If your elderly loved one is feeling lonely, pet therapy could help to reduce their loneliness. By having a pet in their home, they will have the comfort of knowing that they aren’t alone. Their pet is always there for them. Even if they have you and their home care providers coming over sometimes, a pet can be with them the entire time.
These are some of the ways that pet therapy could benefit your elderly loved one. If you believe that pet therapy could help your loved one, start the process today.
Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573436/
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