In a previous post I wrote about the many advantages senior citizens (or Golden Oldies as I prefer to call them) gain from pet ownership.

My local paper published a story last week about two dogs currently up for adoption who were owned by an elderly gentleman.  Reading it made me recognize another aspect of seniors and pet ownership I had not thought deeply about before.

Even if our Golden Oldies are physically and mentally fit now, who will care for their pet(s) if they become ill, require a hospital stay, or have to leave their homes completely and move into a care facility?  What if their pets outlive them?

Pet Care Alternatives

Planning ahead is always important when it comes to eldercare — including decisions about their pets.  Talking about the various options in advance, and not in the midst of an emergency, will help your Golden Oldies figure out logically what their choices are and what they would prefer to see happen.  With the decisions already in hand, it will be easier for them (and/or for you) to implement the necessary changes.

You and your parents might want to write their wishes in a document (signed and dated) once they are decided upon.  Even though it isn’t an official legally-binding document such as a will, at least their desires for their pets’ care will be clear and more easily executed when need be.

Short Term Care Options

During a brief  illness or a short-term hospital stay,  seniors  would probably prefer a family member, neighbor or friend to care for their pet(s).  Identify who they would like them to be, and also designate one or two back up people just in case the first choice isn’t available for some unforeseen circumstance.  Ask the designated individuals or families in advance if they can, and would be willing to, take on this responsibility. Also ask if they would or could consider caring for the pets if your aging parents’  hospital stay is lengthier than anticipated. Prepare a resource list of the pets’ daily routines, favorite foods (and treats), exercise needs, medical records, any medications they take and the veterinarians’ contact information.

A More Permanent Change

If your Golden Oldie reaches the point where they have to leave their home and move into assisted living or a nursing home, you will want to talk with them well in advance about these possible options:

• Identify and visit care facilities that allow residents to bring their pets with them  Happily more and more senior residences are offering this option, which is a win-win for everyone involved.  Not having to  leave a beloved pet behind would be a huge factor in creating a happier and easier transition to a new home for your Golden Oldie.

• A family member, friend or neighbor adopting their pet permanently.  With this solution, the pet can still visit their Golden Oldie on a regular basis.

• Ask the veterinarian for contact information for local animal rescue, pet assistance organizations, or the Humane Society to find their pet a new loving home.  One online resource is Pets911.com (1-888-PETS-911), whose mission is to give “easy access to all the local pet information necessary to instill responsible pet ownership and overcome the issue of animal homelessness.”

Pets and their owners have strong bonds.  It’s perfectly understandable why we’d like to avoid facing these decisions or even having these talks with our Golden Oldies.  But by being proactive, it will make their lives less stressful in the long run.  Their pets will also be very glad you did.

Are there other pet arrangements that you and your Golden Oldies came up with?

Have you thought about these  questions before?

Have you and your aging parents had any discussions yet on this topic? How did it go?

Let’s discuss in the Comment section below.

_________________________

Photo Credit:  Linda Abbit (c) 2009

As a family caregiver, I find it encouraging to read creative solutions to common problems we face and this news story certainly contains one!

If you have cared for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, you know your Golden Oldie could possibly wander off and become lost. In Dusseldorf, Germany, the Benrath Senior Centre, came up with an innovative strategy to prevent this from occurring. They put up an exact replica of a standard stop sign outside their facility, with one difference — no buses ever stop there!

Center residents who go outside intent on returning to their often nonexistent prior homes and families, make a beeline for the green-and-yellow bus stop sign and wait for the bus to arrive.

“We will approach them and say that the bus is coming later and invite them in for a coffee,” said Richard Neureither, Benrath’s director. “Five minutes later they have completely forgotten they wanted to leave.”

This idea has proven so successful that it has now been adopted by several other senior homes across Germany. I hope it’s tried here in the United States as well.

Original news story from the UK Telegraph News can be read here.

_________________________

I am on my Golden Oldies Whirlwind Tour (See post of October 20th below). Our regular features, “Inspiring Quotes for Caregivers” and “Funny Fridays,” will return next week!

Six weeks ago I asked the TLeC community to participate in a survey by Ryan Malone, founder of Inside Assisted Living. The survey was initiated to better understand in which way and to what degree families are prepared for their loved ones’ transition to assisted living.

The results have been tallied and the free Assisted Living Family Preparedness Report has been released.

It is very comprehensive, and here are some of the key findings:

1. An overwhelming majority of survey respondents believe a friend or family member will require assisted living within the next ten years.

2. Respondents’ ability to pay for assisted living is the most frequently cited concern. They also have a self-described poor understanding of the financial aspects of assisted living (such as insurance, costs associated with room and board as well as private caregivers).

3. Families expect to play a major support role in their loved ones’ transition, including selecting a facility close to their homes and their loved ones’ existing medical care.

4. Families’ anxiety with regard to this transition include:

• Feeling guilty if they don’t visit their loved ones enough
• Hearing stereotypes about assisted living and not knowing if they’re true
• Fears their Golden Oldies will resent them, and
• Concerns about how the caregiving burden will impact them and their families

The complete report has more detailed information, graphs and analysis. Go to Inside Assisted Living now and read the free Assisted Living Family Preparedness Report. Learn where you and your family rank on the preparedness continuum.

Inside Assisted Living is a web site with practical information and resources to help you evaluate and prepare for the upcoming transition by your Golden Oldies to assisted living. And even if that occurrence seems way off in the future, it’s never too early to start getting educated about this phase of life. It will make it easier on all family members in the long run.

__________________________________________________

The Family Caregivers Communication Class series will continue in a few weeks. We still have lots to talk about.

Photo Credit: scart’s photostream

Last week I listed my concerns about Sophie the cat moving in with her owner, “P,” the new resident at my mom’s board & care facility. I’m pleased to report it is not a CATastrophe at all!

Here are the results of the Action Steps I took:

• The Residency, Service and Admission Agreement we signed when my Mom moved in has a Pet Policy: “It is the policy of the facility to allow cats, small dogs and birds into the facility on a case-by-case basis with the following provisions: Current vaccinations and a veterinary health clearance for the pet. All expenses incurred for pet care are the responsibility of the resident or responsible party.” This clearly states the new resident is within her rights to bring Sophie to live with her.

• I called the board & care’s Family Services Director and voiced my concerns about pet allergies, and they agreed that I had a valid point. Luckily none of the residents or caregivers at my Mom’s board & care are allergic to Sophie. However, the Diector agreed that in the future the allergy question must be addressed before a new resident moves into any one of their facilities. She didn’t have a solution about my son (who is allergic to cats) visiting his grandmother during vacations, but we will tackle that question in the future. We live in southern California, so they could possibly visit outside on the patio providing the weather cooperates.

• Other residents’ families were somewhat concerned about the cat roaming the house, but also felt we should take a “wait and see” attitude about it. As of today, we haven’t seen the cat outside “P’s” room during our visits there, so Sophie probably won’t be running around potentially startling the other ladies or causing them to trip over her.

• The four caregivers that have been on duty since Sophie moved in all say that the cat stays in “P’s” room 95% of the time and they can easily get her to return if she runs out. “P” has been feeding her and “P’s” son has been changing the litter box, so they do not feel having Sophie there is an additional burden on them.

I’m really pleased to say it looks like most of my concerns were “wasted worrying.”

I’ve gone into “P’s” room to visit with her a few times, and Sophie is usually curled up contentedly on “P’s” bed or easy chair. The positives Sophie brings to “P” (and potentially the other residents) by far outweigh any issues I had with her initially.

Welcome to your new home, Sophie! And I’m not kitten!

Animal-Assisted Therapy Programs

Some of my readers commented about pet therapy programs (or animal-assisted therapy) for residents in assisted living, board & care houses, and/or nursing homes. These programs send volunteers and their pets to visit the residents on a regular basis and provide many wonderful benefits for our Golden Oldies.

A bond formed between a senior citizen and an animal companion helps to:

• Lower stress levels
• Lower blood pressure
• Provide unconditional love
• Provide nonjudgmental support
• Increase social interactions
• Decrease agitation in Alzheimer’s disease patients
• Decrease loneliness and increase morale
• Encourage playfulness and laughter
• Satisfy the need for touch and to be touched

Who could ask for anything more?!

For further information about animal-assisted therapy programs, contact Delta Society, an international nonprofit organization whose goal is to improve human health through service and therapy animals. Their web site covers in depth the health benefits of animals, how to become involved in the Pet Partners Therapy Program, the National Service Dog Center, as well as pet loss and bereavement topics.

You can always create an informal pet therapy program by simply bringing your own pets to visit your Golden Oldies on occasion. And don’t be surprised if your pets enjoy it as much as your parents or grandparents do. Our dog, Shyanne, now runs to the front door when I say “Let’s go visit Grandma Aida!” She knows she’s in for tons of attention, petting, and dog treats from all the residents there!

Further Reading:

Therapy Pets: The Animal-Human Healing Partnership by Jacqueline J. Crawford, Karen A. Pomerinke, and Donald W. Smith

The Healing Powers of Pets: Harnessing the Amazing Ability of Pets to Make and Keep People Happy and Healthy by Marty Becker

While I was away briefly getting our son settled at college, a new resident moved into the board & care facility my Mom lives in. “P” is a lovely woman and, from my interactions with her so far, seems to be high functioning in her mental and physical capacities. I think she will be a lovely addition to the “Happy House,” which is what I call my Mom’s board & care because all the residents are so sweet and pleasant to be around!

Welcome to your new home “P”!

The only problem is that she brought her cat, Sophie, to live there, too.

While I am not a cat owner, we do own a dog and I am truly an animal lover! However, I must admit I am not pleased about this turn of events in my Mom’s house.

Why Does The Cat Bother Me?

“P” will be keeping the cat and litter box in her private bedroom with the door closed, and will also be feeding Sophie. I understand the caregivers of the board & care will only be in charge of changing the litter box and rounding up the cat if she manages to sneak out of the bedroom into the rest of the house. I think the caregivers have enough to do caring for the residents and the household without putting more responsibility on their shoulders.

If the cat does “escape” from the bedroom and runs through the house, I am concerned that one of the other residents could trip over the cat, be startled by it and fall, or even get scratched by Sophie if the cat jumps up into their laps or beds. (Many seniors have extremely thin skin that can tear easily.)

I wonder if any of the residents or their visitors are allergic to cats? I hope the Administration checked on the residents’ possible cat allergies before allowing the cat to move in. I would be unhappy if Sophie’s presence stops other regular visitors from coming. For example, my son is highly allergic to cats, so when he comes home for holidays and vacations, it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to visit his grandmother without having an allergic reaction there. Based on past experience, it will depend on how much time the cat actually spends in other areas of the house. If cat hair and dander is spread throughout the house, my son will not be able to last more than a few minutes before having an allergic reaction to the cat.

Since my Mom moved into the board & care, I’ve been bringing our dog, Shyanne, to visit about once a week. All of the residents enjoy watching her antics as she roams about “investigating” the premises, looking for crumbs to eat off the kitchen floor, and playing with dog toys I bring along. I also give each resident one-on-one time with Shyanne in their laps to pet and cuddle with if they wish. Pet therapy is a wonderful thing for our Golden Oldies! I’m not sure I will be able to continue this activity now because I don’t know if Shyanne and Sophie will get along if they cross paths.

Why the Cat is Wonderful!

“P” told me she’s owned Sophie for 13 years, since she was a kitten. I would never force her to give up her dear pet whom she loves very much.

If Sophie does become a “member of the family” there, I’m sure the ladies will grow attached to her and enjoy her presence daily.

Some Questions I Need Answered

• Does the Admission Agreement have any statements about pets coming to live in the facility? What are the residents’ rights in this regard?

• Did the Board & Care Administration check with the current residents’ and/or their families about cat allergies? Maybe they did but because I was away they haven’t contacted me about it yet. I think this is a must-do before bringing a new pet into a facility!

• Whose rights come first in this situation? The new resident moving in with their pet, or the residents already living there?

My Action Steps

• I will be checking our Admission Agreement to see if there is a written policy regarding pets in the facility.

• If the Administration doesn’t contact me, I will call them to discuss the pet allergy issue and my other concerns about Sophie.

• I will ask some of the other residents’ families when they’re visiting how they feel about the new cat living there.

• I will ask the caregivers how the cat is adjusting to life in the house. Whether Sophie is staying in “P’s” room or coming out into the community areas and how often? I will ask them if they feel it is more work for them to care for the cat.

• Since I visit frequently, I will observe how much the cat stays in “P’s” bedroom, as well as how much time the caregivers spend on cat-related duties. I’m not there all of the time, but I do visit nearly every day and think I will be able to get a good idea of any major changes that may be occurring.

So, for the time being, I will do some further research and take a “wait and see” attitude before I roll out the welcome mat for Sophie the cat.

What would you do in this situation?

Is there anything else I can do?

Do you think I have a right to react this way or am I being unreasonable?

Let’s discuss . . .