Seniors Blue Book Helps Retirees Find Pet-Friendly Assisted Living Facilities

Online, November 13, 2009 (Newswire.com) - For many seniors, it's hard to imagine life without a faithful pet. And while some assisted living facilities are beginning to see the value in pet ownership, many may not allow residents to keep a pet on-site.
"Pets are an important form of social contact," said Dr. Alan Beck, director of the Center for Human-Animal Bond at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue. "For older people who may be less mobile and who have few or limited companions, animals provide family and friendship, something to care for and be recognized by."
Benefits of Pets for Seniors
If you've thought about purchasing a pet or arranging regular animal therapy visits for family members in assisted living facilities, consider the many advantages.
• Pets fulfill our need to nurture. Humans have an innate need to care for others, and pets can fill that void in the lives of aging adults-particularly when they have lost their spouse. "This need to nurture does not stop when our children are grown or are no longer babies, or when our grandchildren are grown," says Beck. "The nice thing about a pet is that she may grow older, but she will never grow up. She will always be your baby."
• Pets improve our physical health. Twenty years of research indicates that pet ownership improves survival chances after a cardiac event or hypertensive event, and may also make Alzheimer's patients residing in assisted living facilities less prone to anxiety and mood swings.
• Pets reduce our need for medical visits. Likening pets to "emotional vitamins," researchers in UCLA's public health department found that pet-owning seniors were not as emotionally taxed, and required fewer visits to their family physicians. While dogs, cats and fish are not a "cure" for disease, they allow seniors to maintain their emotional and psychological health-which can impact lifespan and disease course.
• Pets provide companionship necessary for improved health. Assisted living facilities offer opportunities for human companionship, but pet ownership or therapy visits provide seniors with company without leaving the comfort of their homes or apartments. Ideal for retirees who don't have a nearby family network, dogs and cats supply seniors with friendship and interaction that may be missing from their lives.

If you're searching for assisted living facilities that allow pet ownership or frequent pet therapy visits, Seniors Blue Book can help. Visit www.seniorsbluebook.com to request a list of regional assisted living facilities, including provided amenities, pet policies and on-site services.