If you have an animal as part of your household or family, you probably understand the benefits of pets. Your residents and patients may have a lifelong love of dogs, cats, or other animals. When they enter a nursing home or other PALTC facility, they may have to give up their pets. This can be a devastating loss.
According to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) Benchmark Survey of U.S. Pet Owners, pet ownership is meaningful for people.
- 83% of pet owners say they spend most or a big part of their day with their pets.
- 76% say their personal health has improved because of pet ownership.
- 87% report a positive impact of pets on mental health.
- 64% say they’ve talked to others in the past year about the benefits of pet ownership, though only 36% report having such a conversation with a physician or therapist. At the same time, 69% of pet owners say they would have a more favorable view of a physician who discussed the health benefits of pets with them.
- 89% say that physicians and other health care practitioners should recommend pets to promote healthier living.
An article in the upcoming April issue of Caring for the Ages talks about how PALTC facilities and communities are enabling the pet-people connection to continue after admission.
- Angie Franz, CPM, BF-CMT, life enrichment and memory care product and programming manager at Prestige Care, Inc., said “In our assisted living, we try to accommodate pets under 50 pounds as much as we can.” They even have some pets in memory care. They also have local college students who come to help residents walk and care for pets. Of course, there are rules and restrictions, like pets need to be vaccinated and they must be leashed in public and kept out of dining areas.
- Some facilities actually have their own pets, like Legacy Arbors of Legacy Retirement Communities, where Benny, a golden doodle, lives. Renee Pickerel, executive director, said, “We’re memory care; and our residents can’t have pets because they can’t care for them. The resident dog is like a pet for all of them.” Michelle Carlson, activity director, said, “Everyone looks after him. It’s a shared responsibility, and we haven’t had any problem.” The activity department has the main responsibility for Benny, but nurses and others pitch in as well.
- Of course, it’s not always possible for facilities to allow residents to have pets or to have a community pet. However, there are many ways to bring in visiting pets for residents. For instance, there are volunteer organizations that bring animals into facilities. Scatter Joy Acres in Nebraska, a 15-acre urban rescue ranch with over 70 animals, is one such organization. Scatter Joy currently makes visits to numerous LTC facilities on a rotating basis and interacts with thousands of seniors and veterans. CEO and founder Joy Barling said, “We bring all kinds of animals. Last month, the ‘ambassador’ was a baby lamb, but we’ve brough rabbits, chinchillas, kangaroos, porcupines, and a bearded dragon, as well as kittens and puppies. Each month it’s something different.”
- As a practitioner with residents in a PALTC facility, you may be able to bring your own pet when you come to see residents. For years, David Smith, MD, CMD, president of Geriatric Consultants in Brownwood, TX, brought his dog Mike to facilities. Everyone loved him, Dr. Smith recalled. He said, “He would seek out someone who was staring down in their lap or looking sad, and go over to them.” At the same time, Dr. Smith could signal Mike from across the room to go to a particular resident. He explained, “It means so much more to someone if the dog goes to them on its own instead of being pulled over by a leash.” Of course, it is important to clear your desire to bring in a pet with facility leadership, and you’ll have to follow the same rules and requirements regarding pets that others adhere to.
Giving up a pet can be a devastating loss for residents, so it is imperative to work with them and their family to ease the loss as much as possible. Perhaps a family member or friend can adopt their pet and take it to visit them. There also are rescue groups that might be able to arrange visits. In addition, there have been instances where staff have adopted a resident’s pet and brought it in for visits. Whatever the situation, look for opportunities to maximize the pet-people connection and quality of life for your residents.