Animal Instincts: Pets enhance the lives of seniors

Animal Instincts

Pets can enhance the lives of seniors

By Kinsey Hasstedt, Daily Camera, Thursday March 10, 2005

Opening her apartment door, Betty Stewart, 81, greeted her roommate and closest confidant with a delighted, "Hello, girlfriend."

Stewart's spunky schnauzer, Bella, yapped and bounced around the living room, clearly ecstatic to have Stewart home.

While a Frisbee-tossing young adult may be the typical image of the Boulderite pet guardian, perhaps the most devoted animal owners around are the elderly. Although senior pet owners face challenges the robust college kid many not, pets provide invaluable emotional, social and physical benefits for m any seniors.

"The advantages of having animals around far outweigh any disadvantages," said Linda Chaves, director of resident services at the Academy, a Boulder retirement community that allows both independent and assisted living residents to keep pets. "Pets don't make judgments about a person based on their age or the looks or their ability. Pets love you for you, not anything else."

Plenty of pet owners relish their animals' attention, but the companionship of a furry (or winged, or finned) friend can be particularly rewarding for a senior who has lost a spouse or moved from familiar surroundings to a retirement or assisted living community.

"You are her universe, and when you're a new widow, that sure helps," Steward said as she idly tickled Bella's ears. Steward said the schnauzer initially was both to comfort her ailing husband, who died four years ago. "She has been raised as a companion from the very very beginning." Stewart said.

Despite Stewart's trepidation about how well the dog would adapt to the transition from their private home to an apartment in a community living environment, she says Bella was the one who helped her adjust. "I think she got along faster and better than I did," Steward said She also is grateful that the Academy welcomes residents' personal pets. "It would have died if I had to get rid of her, I really would have."

Caring for a pet also gives older adults something to focus their attention on and a reason to be needed, particularly for those who are single or under the strain of physical suffering.

"If you are in pain and you can take your mind off that pain by focusing on something that brings you joy or something that you feel has more need than you do — for instance a pet that can't survive without you — I think that adds a lot of dimension to someone's life," said Claire Morrow, director of community relations at Sunrise Assisted Living of Boulder, another pet-friendly senior residence.

Animal companions, particularly dogs, also can benefit a senior's physical health. Phil Booth co-founded Senior Wellness Consultants Inc. a Longmont-based company that helps seniors safely maintain their independence and mobility with basic fitness exercises. He sees animals prompting physical benefits in his clients on a variety of levels.

"With some people, it gives them the impetus to get out the door and go for a walk; for others it's the simple things, like having to fill their water bottle and prepare food. It's all kind of functional movement that they're doing to take care of this animal," Booth said. "Moving keeps the active, keeps them involved."

Bud Harris, who shares a bungalow at the Academy with his wife, Mary, has run the Bolder Boulder every year since 1992 — a feat many people younger than his 79 years can't claim. Bud says active with their golden retriever, Duffy — they walk or jog through the neighborhood or Chautauqua for at least minutes almost every day.

"There's so many places to go h ere, and he loves it. I love to take him with me." Bud said.

But not all seniors are able to take daily excursions through the neighborhood.

Many residents of Mary Sandoe House, a 24-bed assisted living residence in South Boulder, use walkers or wheelchairs to get around. The balance and stability issues residents struggle with prompted them to not allow any personal pets in their community.

Dotti Longobardi, manager of Mary Sandoe, said the no-pet rule was voted on by the residents after an employee brought her dog with her for two or three weeks. "We thought it would be a great idea for her bring in her dog daily, when she worked, to hang out with the elders, "Longobardi. Said.

The residents, however, did not share the staff's enthusiasm. Those who use walkers and wheelchairs thought a dog underfoot greatly increased their risk of falling and hurting themselves. The resident council voted that no pets would be allowed in either of the two houses that comprise the Mary Sandoe community because of their balance concerns, as well as some residents' allergies to animal hair.

"I think because there's so many walkers and people with mobility issues, they all breathed a sign of relief when we said, 'No more dogs, in this house,'" Longobardi said.

The staff at Mary Sandoe recognizes the benefits of animal interaction for seniors, so a volunteer from the Boulder Valley Humane Society brings a well-behaved dog to visit every Sunday. "The (residents) who come out with the dogs, they all really love that activity, and they all get to ooh and aah and pet them," Longobardi said.

Renee Enroth, coordinator of the Boulder Valley Human Society's visitation programs, said the visits are perfect for senior animal lovers who can't care for their own pets anymore. "It's really nice for them to be able to have that and not have the responsibility of owning a pet."