Several years ago, Jay Mikosch adopted his dog, Murphy, from a local animal shelter. Murphy had ended up at the shelter because his previous owner needed to move into a senior living community and couldn’t take Murphy with him.
“It broke my heart to think that Murphy and his owner had to be separated through no fault of their own,” says Mikosch, a licensed nursing home administrator and campus director of Wellington Bay and Lisbet Assisted Living and Memory Care in Wellington, Florida. “It just really hit me, and it’s something that’s been near and dear to my heart for many years.”
That lesson extends to Mikosch’s work leading an assisted living community that encourages residents to bring their pets when they move in.
“I’ve been a big advocate for pet-friendly communities for as long as I can remember because I’m very much a pet-lover. I know the joy that my pets have brought me throughout my life, and I know that many others feel the same way,” he says.
Increasingly, other senior living administrators agree. Today, the majority of assisted living facilities allow seniors to bring their pets.
Here, we’ll unpack everything you need to know about pet ownership in assisted living and how to find a good assisted living facility where pets are allowed.
Why Pets in Assisted Living Facilities Matter
A growing body of evidence suggests pets a provide health and wellness benefits to seniors.
Mental health benefits of pet ownership
Perhaps the greatest gift pets can provide is improved mental health, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s 2023 Healthy Minds Monthly Poll.
Survey respondents who had pets (dogs, cats or birds) credited them with:
— Helping reduce stress and anxiety (69%)
— Providing unconditional love and support (69%)
— Offering companionship (69%)
— Providing a calming presence (66%)
— Being true friends (63%)
For seniors specifically, pets can do the important job of lessening feelings of loneliness and isolation and reducing depression.
“Often with aging comes a fair amount of loss,” Mikosch says. “Your children move away or your grandkids grow up and get busy with their lives. Sometimes there’s the loss of a spouse or downsizing from the family home to a smaller space.”
The decision to move to an assisted living community can mean yet another loss, particularly if your new residence doesn’t allow pets.
“The thought of losing their pet on top of everything else places additional stress and anxiety on the senior,” Mikosch says.
Pets can provide a powerful sense of familiarity, comfort and routine. With a pet to focus on, seniors may be less bothered by loss, grief and the other things that are changing around them.
“Pets provide a significant sense of purpose,” Mikosch adds.
Pets can also help seniors build bridges with others. Mikosch notes that there’s a general camaraderie among animal lovers at assisted living communities that can help unite seniors and give them an easy point of entry for starting a conversation with someone new.
“Allowing the pet to move into the assisted living community with the resident just makes a world of difference,” he points out. “It opens the door and gives them another reason to think about making a move they’re often hesitant to make because they can make it together with their pet.”
[READ: 7 Signs It’s Time to Move to a Senior Living Facility]
Physical health benefits of pet ownership
Walking your dog every day is a great way to ensure you exercise. Dog owners in the APA Healthy Minds Poll were twice as likely as cat owners to say their pet encourages them to be physically active. An older study in the journal BMC Public Health found that people who own dogs walk on average 22 minutes more per day than people who don’t own dogs.
While mobility can sometimes be difficult for older adults, playing with an animal — even if it’s just tossing a ball or waving a wand with a bird on the end for your cat to catch — can encourage more movement in your day.
Pets have even been shown to help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing hypertension, according to 2022 findings in the journal Current Hypertension Reports.
Cats have even been shown to help heal injuries and lower blood pressure due to the vibrations they make when they purr. A 2020 study in the Archives of Medical Science found that five minutes of exposure to an investigational device that mimics the effects of a cat’s purr improved the response of the autonomic nervous system, which is involved in stress response and recovery. Participants’ heart rate variability also improved after exposure to the purring device.
[READ: 9 Ways to Help Seniors Cope With Loss of Independence]
Types of Pets Allowed in Assisted Living Homes
Most pet-friendly assisted living communities limit the types of pets that are permitted because of space constraints and concerns about temperament.
Commonly accepted pets include:
— Cats
— Dogs
— Birds
— Small mammals, such as a rabbit or a guinea pig
Wellington Bay welcomes dogs, cats and some smaller birds, Mikosch says. While they don’t have a weight limit for pets, smaller animals that the senior can handle and manage on their own are preferable to larger animals that might be strong enough to knock someone over. Older, calmer animals may also be preferable to younger puppies or kittens who are more likely to race around and potentially get underfoot.
“Really, it’s just based on the animal’s temperament,” Mikosch says.
If the animal is well behaved and manageable, they’ll most likely be allowed to move in with their senior.
[READ: Understanding the Different Eldercare Options]
Therapy Animals and Service Dogs
Many assisted living communities allow therapy animals or service dogs to support their residents. Like pets, therapy animals can provide a range of health and wellness benefits.
These specially trained animals can help with a range of needs, from providing companionship to helping treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
Service dogs are widely used by individuals with low vision or blindness. Other types of service animals can assist with conditions such as autism and epilepsy.
How Assisted Living Facilities Manage Pet Policies
In addition to their guidelines about types, sizes and temperaments of pets, pet-friendly assisted living facilities also require that pets have all relevant vaccinations and health check-ups completed before move-in.
“We require that we meet the animal in advance to make sure that it exhibits the behaviors and manners that would be appropriate for an assisted living community,” Mikosch says. “Once we get to meet the animal and feel comfortable, then it’s just obtaining the necessary veterinary paperwork for proof of vaccinations and those sorts of things.”
Rules and regulations about pets vary from community to community, but they often stipulate that the animal be cared for by the senior or someone they hire to help.
Some facilities may offer assistance with pet care, but usually at an additional cost to the resident. In some facilities, the resident must arrange for that assistance themselves, whether it’s dog-walking services or litter-box cleaning for cats.
There’s actually an upside to this potential extra expense — and it’s social interaction.
“The senior has the opportunity to talk to the dog-walker or the person who’s helping them clean the litter box, so it might become something they’re able to look forward to — it’s a built-in visitor,” Mikosch says. “It gives them a reason to get up and out of bed each day.”
Challenges and Considerations of Pet Ownership in Assisted Living
Pet-friendly assisted living facilities are transparent about whether they allow pets, so if someone is severely allergic or fears animals, they can opt for a different facility or arrange to avoid contact with pets if they choose to move in.
If a resident’s situation changes and they’re no longer able to care for a pet, there are a few options. Family members of the senior might take the pet, for instance, or sometimes a staff member steps up.
“I’ve had staff members who have absolutely fallen in love with a particular pet and agreed to adopt it,” Mikosch says.
How to Choose the Right Pet-Friendly Assisted Living Facility
Moving to assisted living is a big step, and it’s important to do your homework to make sure you select the right place for you.
“Choosing the best facility starts with identifying your or your loved one’s current and future care needs, lifestyle preferences and budget,” explains Brandon Blakeley, a senior care specialist and co-founder of the senior living platform Mirador.
You should consider a range of factors, such as the size of the facility, the type of accommodation, whether the staff can address your health or other care needs and, of course, costs.
When it comes to bringing your pet along, also consider:
— Pet policies. Does the facility allow pets? If so, does your pet meet the guidelines for what’s allowed? Who takes care of the pet if you’re not able to? Are there additional fees associated with pet-ownership, and if so, is it a one-time fee or a monthly cost? How do staff interact with the pet, and will they be ensuring the pet’s well-being?
— Pet care services. Are there veterinary services on-site or nearby to help you care for your animal? Is there a local pet store where you can get their food and any medications they might need? Do they deliver if you can’t get there yourself?
Finding Assisted Living Communities Where Pets Are Allowed
To find pet-friendly assisted living options in your area, start by learning which nearby facilities seem to offer a good mix of services.
You’ll also want to visit potential facilities in person to assess cleanliness, staff interactions and resident satisfaction.
“Speak with staff and residents to get a sense of the community culture,” Blakely recommends.
You can also meet some of the other pets who already live there.
Explore Top-Rated Senior Care Facilities with U.S. News
You can start your search for a top-rated pet-friendly assisted living facility with U.S. News’ Best Assisted Living list. These ratings includes more than 3,500 facilities across the country — many of which accept pets — and are based on more than 400,000 survey responses from residents and their families.
More from U.S. News
How to Manage Sibling Conflict Over Care of Elderly Parents
A Patient’s Guide to Macular Degeneration: Symptoms and Treatment
Foods That Can Boost Your Immunity, and Recipes From a Dietitian
Pet-Friendly Assisted Living: Benefits, Guidelines and How to Find One Near You originally appeared on usnews.com
