Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. As its name suggests, it is a time for giving thanks. The problem is that not everyone feels thankful. Indeed, holidays like this one can bring with them depression and loneliness, especially for seniors.
Although there are no simple cures for these or other psychological issues, pets can help. They are like emotional vitamins. Pets make us feel better by being our companions and by requiring our attention. In fact, animals demand our attention if we do not respond fast enough. It is this ongoing push for action that makes pets good for seniors. It is difficult, for example, to stay in bed all day feeling sorry for yourself when your dog needs to be let outside or taken for a walk.
In his book, Life Worth Living, How Someone You Love Can Still Enjoy Life in a Nursing Home, Dr William Thomas, a physician and nursing home administrator, discusses his exciting concept for seniors in nursing homes. This concept, called “The Eden Alternative,” improves residents’ quality of life by creating an environment full of animals.
In one of Thomas’ nursing homes, there are over one hundred birds, four dogs, two cats, rabbits, and a flock of laying hens, as well as hundreds of indoor plants and flower gardens. Thomas explains that plants and animals belong in nursing homes because they bring chaos with them. Together, these plants, birds, cats, dogs, rabbits, and chickens create craziness in the lives of the nursing home residents. This craziness – or chaos – creates the potential for meaningful interaction which in turn, according to Thomas, combats the three plagues of nursing homes (and of any home for that matter): loneliness – the need for companionship; helplessness – the need to care for others; and boredom – the need for variety. These three plagues diminish a person’s capacity for growth. Chaos and craziness, on the other hand, makes our lives worth living…makes us want to get up in the morning.
The psychological importance of pets became clear in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. When governmental officials pets would not allow people to bring pets with them, many people responded by refusing to be rescued. They did not want to leave their pets behind. “The Humane Society has been teaching the importance of pet evacuation for years,” said Anne Culver, director of disaster services at the Humane Society of the United States, “but it took people actually choosing to die in New Orleans rather than be separated from their pets for it to reach the national consciousness.” Since Hurricane Katrina, official evacuation policies have changed. In the subsequent hurricane rescues, governmental officials allowed and encouraged pet-owners to bring their pets with them.
But pets not only help decrease psychological problems, they help improve the overall physical health of their owners. Over the last two decades, studies have linked pet ownership with increased chances of survival after a heart attack and reduced blood pressure. Pet-owning seniors were more active and able to cope better with stress.
Pets and the elderly have a lot to give each other. Research and experience show that animals and older people can share time and affection. Though pets cannot replace human relationships, they can enhance them. A pet can fill an older person’s life with years of constant, unconditional love. Your pet adds life to your years because although she may grow older, she will never grow up. She will always be your baby.
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