Pets and Eldercare: What to Do With the Dog

Separating an elderly owner from a pet just isn’t good, says Carolyn L. Rosenblatt, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N., author of The Boomer’s Guide To Aging Parents. Pets provide health benefits and help ward off isolation by serving as conversation starters, she says. But above all, their owners are bonded to them like family.

So what happens when your aging parent has to move to a senior-care facility? Try to make sure they can take the pet with them, she writes at Forbes.com.

When there is consideration of some other arrangement, such as assisted living, look for a facility that accepts pets. There may be a pet weight limit, and some facilities do not allow pets at all.

Smaller “board and care” homes or other kinds of living arrangements that provide help with meals, bathing and other necessities may also be an option. Some of these too will allow pets.

You can read the article here: “How to Handle Aging Parents’ Pets.” In it, she also offers tips on how to help an aging parent keep a pet in the home even when it becomes a safety issue.

If you’re interested in board-and-care arrangements, you might find these OurParents articles helpful:

• “Micro Communities” (including a search engine to find ones in your area, with reviews)
• “Evaluating a Micro Community (Residential Care Facility)—a Check List”
• “Foster Homes for Veterans: Programs Expanding”