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Jan
19
Written by:
Richard Peck
1/19/2010 2:50 PM
Pets can be a major barrier for older Americans moving into senior housing since some facilities don't allow them.
The Canadian Broadcasting Network recently ran a wrenching story about a multi-disabled man, aged 59, needing to go to an assisted living facility but required to leave his dog behind. The pet had been his constant companion for 10 years. His province banned pets from government-supported facilities three years ago. Not yet having entered a facility, the man, named David MacFadyen, said, “I ain’t going to leave without her.”
This is an obvious conundrum. When one leaves one’s home to live in an institution, there are inevitable trade-offs. In return for increased and sometimes life-sustaining attention and professional support, one gives up the complete autonomy of calling the shots as one sees fit in one’s own home. The better facilities these days are moving in a more individualized direction, but that can be a major management challenge; staffing for individualized care isn’t easy. The good news is that many facilities still allow pets under certain conditions. An excellent way to identify these facilities is to put my blog host, SnapForSeniors.com, to work for you. Using its wide-ranging search engine, you’ll find profiles of facilities in your area that do welcome pets.
But about those “conditions.” It goes without saying that care and feeding of the pet remain the resident’s responsibility. That includes the daily walks. When visiting my mom’s pet-friendly facility I often saw residents walking their dogs in the relatively safe, sheltered parking lot. But the residents, in what was then called “independent living with services,” were relatively strong and mobile. I certainly wouldn’t count on facility staff to “do it for you”—I mean, there might be exceptions, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Also, as a pet owner, you assume responsibility for maintaining your living quarters in good order—no chewed baseboards or urine-stained carpets—and for keeping your pet under sufficient control that he or she isn’t annoying or scaring other residents (sometimes a tall order!).
This is not an ideal situation, obviously. We give up so much as we age, hopefully at a pace that is measured enough to handle. It is certainly worth going the extra mile to keep our pets, realizing that the day may come when this will no longer be possible. Even then, with any luck, you may reside in a facility that actually hosts pets of its own under a program called the Eden Alternative or, more informally, a “fur and feathers” facility. I know of one facility, the Jewish Home and Hospital in the Bronx, New York, which even had a trained canine companion that not only befriended residents but gently and firmly guided them away from dangerous wandering choices.
So, even without your own pet, the situation isn’t necessarily hopeless. But this is something that you and your loved ones have to think long and hard about before entering any long-term care facility.
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2 comment(s) so far...
Loved your Lassie story! I'd move to the kennel before I'd gave up my dog and I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels that way. There's a business to be had by those that can find the right combination of providing assistance with daily living and assistance with Lassie. I'm thrilled that a site such as SNAPforSeniors provides information on pet-friendly communities because in my world, the power of caring for something and being rewarded with unconditional love in return thrumps any quest I have for personal assistance.
By Kellie on
1/22/2010 2:21 PM
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As an animal lover and advocate for happiness, I also encourage our residents to bring their pet. Pets offer companionship, comfort, and entertainment - all things that are necessary when experiencing the transitions of aging. Because we serve such a small number of residents (four), we have been able to even provide pet care for a resident whose condition declined. It is important that as care providers we understand that we must provide happiness, and for many, that includes their pets.
By Cynthia Covington on
1/25/2010 9:30 AM
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