Elderly Companion Animals

Picture going to the doctor and being prescribed a companion animal. From physical benefits like being more active outside and walking, to psychological benefits such as lowering anxiety and stress, companion animals really do positively impact health. For elderly people sometimes a companion animal can be a life saver.

A 12 year study conducted with 3.4 million adults ages 40 to 80 found that dog owner had a lower risk of death due to heart disease. These benefits were especially evident among people who lived alone. Single dog owners had an 11% lower risk of having a heart attack during the study compared to non dog owners. Another study found that patients who recently suffered a heart attack, showed a mortality rate among people with pets being one third that of patients without an animal companion. According to that same study approximately one million people die of heart disease each year. This means animal companionship may save 30,000 lives per year.

Things that elderly individuals should consider when adopting an animal are their own mobility and activity levels and the age of the animal they are considering for adoption. Some people may need an active dog to get them moving and others may need a Garfield cat to snuggle with to avoid loneliness.

There are many benefits to having a pet and elderly people are no exception. Many organizations and shelters have been established to assist elderly people to adopt pets. One of the best is Pets for the Elderly and more information can be found at http://petsfortheelderly.org/

Elderly people can save animals and in turn, the animals may just save them.