Animals help keep seniors healthy, active
According to the AARP, a dog can be an all-purpose multivitamin for older adults.
Dogs have been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and increase social interactions among seniors who own a pet, says the AARP.
Carol Warner, the director of resident programs at Lowrie Place, 100 Sterling Village in Butler Township, has seen firsthand these effects. Several times a year, the Butler County Humane Society brings canine pals to visit Lowrie Place residents.
“Usually I try to set it up to coincide with a day like National Pet Day or National Puppy Day or Kindness to Animals Day,” said Warner. The society brings two or three dogs to visit with the seniors.
“We get all the residents down to the living room to get pictures with them,” Warner said.
“They (the residents) are just smiles from ear to ear. One lady, it was the first time the whole entire time she had been here that she smiled.”
The visits often spark memories of past pets the seniors have had.
“One gentleman when he met a beagle, he had a similar beagle. He went to his room to get a picture of his dog, so he could show everybody,” she said. “It brings fond memories.”
Carrie Ginocchi, president of the board of the humane society, said she's in favor of anyone adopting a pet if they are able.
“As long as you are capable of physically caring for it, it is really beneficial,” said Ginocchi. “It gives you a purpose, a reason to get out of bed in the morning.”
“It can be really beneficial for people who may have fewer and fewer resources and support people. It gives them something to love and something that loves them,” she said.
In addition to taking dogs out to visit at Lowrie Place, Ginocchi said, “We also have seniors who come out (to the humane society) and volunteer. We have three or four who come out on mornings and help.”
But it's not just the animals that are helped.
“By volunteering you get to communicate with other people who you don't come into contact with normally,” said
For a senior citizens thinking of adopting a dog, Beth Herold, director of the Butler County Area Agency on Aging, said they need to consider just what sort of pet will fit their needs best.
Herold said, “I would advise them that a puppy is not the way to go, better a dog that is out of the puppy stage.”
She also advises against a larger dog breed because it might be hard for a senior to control, as well as passing on a breed that's too small because a tiny dog might get underfoot and become a fall hazard to an older owner.
Herold also cautioned seniors thinking of getting a pet to carefully consider all the costs that may be involved. “You have to provide exercise, be able to afford pet bills, food. Pets can be expensive, Herold said.
Still, Herold said, dog ownership can provide a lot of benefits to an older person.
“A pet makes a senior get up in the morning,” said Herold. “They need to feed and water it, take it out. It can provide companionship, you can talk to the dog. It gives you a sense of purpose.”
Warner is sold on the benefits of canine companionship. She’s already scheduled doggy drop-ins for March and April at Lowrie Place.
“They bring over two or three or sometimes only one. We are trying to get them to bring a whole litter of puppies if they are ever available,” she said. She added sometimes owners who have adopted a dog from the humane society will bring over an “alumni” animal to visit the residents.
“We've had really good experiences,” Warner said of the dog visits.
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