As seniors move into the next phase of their lives, they can sometimes find the transition to be quite lonely. Without regular work, the hours of the day can seem to be endless. While some seniors enjoy the bliss of retirement, others can struggle without the semblance of structure.
Those who find retirement hard can be susceptible to varying degrees of physical and mental illness. However, when it comes to enjoying retirement, pets can make all the difference. Promoting both physical and mental health and providing constant companionship, pets can transform a senior’s retirement years for the better.
How pets can help seniors through their retirement years
The importance of pets during later years is starting to gain momentum worldwide. Thanks to research which suggests that seniors with pets suffer fewer physical and mental health issues, people are taking notice. From regions like America and Asia, pet shelters and retirement homes are implementing new initiatives to connect pets and seniors.
Whether pets just visit for the day or are re-homed to seniors at special fees, the benefits are endless. In fact, pets help make retirement years better. All furry creatures great and small have the ability to transform a senior’s life.
Pets keep Owners active
Pets are inherently active beings and in order to properly look after a pet, Owners have to exercise their pets. While this exercise is beneficial to the pet, it’s also positive for the Owner. As people age, physical exercise becomes harder to come by. With a pet, Owners will be physically active every day. This, in turn, keeps Owners physically healthier.
In fact, simply interacting with a pet on a daily basis can yield an array of physical benefits. Whether it’s lowering blood pressure and cholesterol or reducing stress and pain, animals provide a special type of healing.
Animals help Owners be sociable
The fact that seniors may not have many opportunities to communicate during the day is a sad reality. However, with a pet, this doesn’t have to be the case. Animals can be great listeners, and once they start to feel like part of the family, there aren’t many Owners who don’t speak to their pets.
While providing an ear inside the home, pets can also promote outside communication too. On daily walks or trips to the shops, pets can be great conversation starters. This gives seniors easy yet meaningful ways to talk to people who would otherwise walk straight past. While the pet gets friendly pats, the Owner can engage in a light-hearted chat.
Easing emotional pain in seniors
Loneliness is a problem that particularly affects seniors. Most people have a strong need for emotional companionship, and that can be hard to find during retirement years. However, a pet can well and truly tick all the boxes when it comes to being emotionally healthy.
The loyalty and companionship that pets display goes a long way towards easing feelings of emotional distress. With a pet, a person is never truly alone. This is because a pet’s desire to provide unconditional love always leaves people with a sense of purpose and connection.
The undeniable effect of pets on seniors
Seniors derive great benefits from the world’s furry friends. Whether the benefits are physical or emotional, pets can transform the lives of their Owners. Where there are instances of seniors struggling, the introduction of a pet can make all the difference.
While some may be concerned about older citizens caring for a pet, the care goes both ways. Seniors take care of their pets with exercise and food while pets send that care back tenfold. This, in turn, allows their Owners to enjoy a physically and mentally healthier life. In short, Pet Ownership can prove that when it comes to retirement, the best is yet to come.
Luke Fitzpatrick has been published in Forbes, Yahoo! News and Influencive. He is also a guest lecturer at the University of Sydney, lecturing in Cross-Cultural Management and the Pre-MBA Program.
