Growing Old Is Better With A Dog. Here’s Why.

Here at Discovery Village At Tampa Palms, we understand that getting on in age can be a lonely affair. Whether it is family members moving out or friends moving away, your loved ones may find their social circle to decrease over time. As such, we highly encourage loved ones to adopt a pet, especially dogs. In fact, we are a pet-friendly community and have provided amenities specifically catered to taking care of pets. According to multiple studies, dogs have the capability to improve your loved ones’ physical, emotional, and mental health. Here are other reasons why loved ones should consider getting a dog.

Companionship

As mentioned above, our loved ones may feel lonely or socially isolated when they have lost a spouse, or their adult children have moved out of the family home. Such feelings can cause depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions. This can negatively affect your loved ones’ daily life and prevent them from engaging in society. This is where dogs come in. Since dogs are extremely loyal and faithful, they’ll be constant companions for your loved ones and will never leave their sides. This ensures that your loved ones always have a source of comfort.

Stress Relief

For loved ones battling with Alzheimer’s or dementia, they may feel bouts of agitation occasionally. In this case, dogs can help to calm them down. Research has shown that just by petting our dogs, we can lower our cortisol level, which is the primary stress hormone. In addition, our loved ones with these memory loss conditions can experience troubles concentrating during mealtimes and interacting with dogs can stimulate their appetites.

Promote a Healthier Lifestyle

We are aware that as our loved ones get on in years, they lose the energy and purpose to be more physically engaged. Considering that your loved ones would need to take the dogs out for regular walks and play with them, they serve to motivate your loved ones to get out of the house and be more physically active. A simple walk in the park can bring about several benefits for your loved ones, including improved heart health, lower blood sugar levels, strengthening the body, and even boosting mental health.

Stimulate the Mind

This is especially important for loved ones diagnosed with or displaying signs of Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other memory loss conditions. Since brain exercises and routine activities can help to slow down the onset of these symptoms and keep the mind working, taking care of dogs can help stimulate the mind. This comes when your loved ones are reading pet care books, researching about different dog breeds, or simply holding conversations with others about their pets. All these activities can get the mind up and running, helping to prevent cognitive decline.

Provide a Sense of Purpose

You’ll find that as your loved ones progress in years, they’ll experience a lack of purpose in their lives, as they’re either retired or do not have any responsibilities to look forward to. If this is what your loved ones are currently facing, they can benefit from getting a dog. Since taking care of dogs require your loved ones to follow a schedule and attend to various tasks, your loved ones will be more socially and mentally engaged.