Taking care of a pet gives residents of senior care homes a sense of purpose. Photo: 123rf
Every day around 9am, Bella, a 16-year-old Poodle mix, makes her morning rounds at Serenity Gardens in Dickinson, Texas, the United States.
Bella is the community pet at the assisted senior living facility, and she’s a little slower than she used to be and will occasionally be found napping alongside or nearby residents. She’s been with the facility since she was a puppy and is a comforting and familiar presence at Serenity, said manager and director Russell Jordan.
“Who doesn’t love a dog? Bella is the original OG,” Jordan said.
Serenity specialises in dementia and Alzheimer’s care, and Bella is an essential member of the staff.
One of the key elements in memory care is structure, and Bella’s daily rounds – and the effect her visits have on residents – is an assurance of stability when memory is fragmented, Jordan said.
“Our residents are always happy to see her,” he said.
Jordan said that for many families looking for senior care for loved ones, not being able to keep a beloved family pet or care for a pet is a deal breaker, but pet-friendly senior living communities are not uncommon in the Houston region.
Caring.com, an online senior living advisory resource, lists 118 pet-friendly facilities in Galveston County, and 161 in Harris County with most requiring a pet deposit or fee.
For facilities such as Serenity Gardens, pets are an integral part of ongoing care.
Autumn Leaves at Meyerland in Houston highlights its pet-friendly status on its website mission statement, saying it “recognises the positive effect of pets on the lives of senior citizens”.
Serenity allows only smaller dogs and no cats. Cats, Jordan said, are more independent and roam more, while dogs are more likely to stay with one owner and provide the consistency those with memory loss need.
Parsons House is a senior community in La Porte and Cypress where family pets can often make the transition to assisted living easier, said Jasmine Garcia, the company’s marketing director.
“They give them emotional support,” she said.
“When they have to move away from their family, (pets) still feel like a piece of home.”
In caring for residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s, Jordan has seen residents take food off their own plate where they don’t eat at all and give it to a community animal. There’s a healing effect in that gesture, he said.
“Being able to love an animal and take care of a pet gives our residents purpose,” he said. “Residents will feed their pets before they feed themselves. With an animal, you have to feed it at a certain time, it has to use the restroom at a certain time, and so (caring for a pet) helps provide the structure in life they are missing.”
Sometimes, residents at assisted senior living facilities take food off their own plate and give it to a community animal. There’s a healing effect in that gesture. Photo: 123rf
Many residents in senior living facilities have outlived spouses, other family members and friends while children are living their own lives, Jordan said.
“It’s caring,” he said. “Some people discount the companionship we find in pets, but as human beings, we crave acceptance and companionship. If you were married for 65 years and lost your spouse, and you crave having that person next to you, sitting on the couch with you... a lot of people find that in a pet.”
Pets allow residents to hold onto some of their independence, Garcia said.
“Moving into an assisted living environment, people can feel like their independence has been ripped away from them, but with a pet they are still able to care for a loved one,” she said.
Families are allowed to bring pets to visit and spend the day at Serenity. One resident would become so animated and engaged when her son brought the family’s 100lb (45kg) dog to visit her that she paid more attention to the pet than her son, Jordan said.
“As members of staff, we see that,” he said. “There’s a lot of sadness with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and it’s nice to see something that brings so much joy, happiness to our residents, and something familiar to them.” – Tribune News Service/Houston Chronicle/Yvette Orozco
