October's Theme: Companions and Communication!
Welcome to October!
As the leaves are turning vibrant colors, falling to the ground and autumn sets in, our aging parents living in the family home will experience a lag time between the celebrations of summer and the upcoming holiday season.
This month’s theme is Family Communication and Companionship. Our experts will provide content and information about improving communication, ways to help ease the feelings of loneliness.
When my mom was still living in her home I would go through times where I felt guilty that I didn’t call her enough to check in with her as she often times spent many days alone.
Numerous studies show that depression and loneliness are common themes for seniors living at home. Those feelings can have a considerable impact upon the progression of Dementia, and health problems. Yet, we adult children have so many responsibilities in our own lives, and thus, we feel the pressure to keep in contact, while somehow being there for our own families, our career, and our primary relationships. How do we keep peace of mind? Of course there is no substitute for our family visits with Mom & Dad, but there are ways that we can attain peace of mind that those alone days can definitely become easier for them.
A constant companion and friend, and the one who can be there during the lonely times, is a beloved pet. Please consider an older pet as a companion for your aging parent. Pets can be so important in the lonely hours, and can help especially if there is a void in your parent’s life, in the loss of a spouse, or as their social life begins to diminish. By adopting an older pet consider the following. Older pets likely
- Already are obedience trained
- Have calmer energy and better attention skills
- Have already been “socialized”, and thus get along in most situations
Also- Did you know??
Many shelters will give a discount or even waive the adoption fee for seniors adopting an older pet.
In addition, many veterinary clinics, groomers and specialty pet services will also provide reduced cost of their services to seniors with older pets!
What are the favorite pet stories that you have of growing up?
How have pets enhanced the life of your older parents?
What ideas do you have to decrease the loneliness in the long days for Mom & Dad?