Pets and Senior Citizens: Talk to your parents about future plans for their petsPets and senior citizens can be inseparable. Your mother or father has turned to their pet for love, companionship, or maybe even a sense of purpose every day. After all, their pet is completely helpless and dependent and needs that care and attention from their owner. 
The benefits of pets and senior citizens together is well documented.If you are considering a gift for your parent of a new pet, there are many things to consider. You'll want to consider you parent's lifestyle and fitness level, where they live, personality, temperment and the like. Ask several questions to adopt a dog or adopt a cat -- it may be a great solution. Many people naturally are drawn to puppies or kittens when they are considering a new pet for themselves or someone else. You may want to give your Mom or Dad a new focus for their time, but please think carefully before surprising them with that furry bundle of joy. Linda Spangenburg provides a great place to learn about what canine-kids really require and to learn about
puppy-growth.
Also, consider pet care financesIn today’s economy, more and more people have had to give up their pets because they can
no longer afford their care.
That’s a good reason to check in on your parents and initiate a conversation about their finances. Make sure there are no financial stresses with the rising costs of food, medicine and veterinary care. So what happens if the day comes when your parent can no longer take care of their pet? Recently, I have been to several animal shelters scouting for a new cat to come into the family. I can’t tell you the number animals whose tag said that their owner had died. So part of elder care planning with your aging parent is to talk about the pets. Don’t just think about the end of life, what about emergencies? Considering the bond of pets and senior citizens, what if your parent has an extended illness, or a lengthy recouperation from surgery? What’s the plan for Scampers and Fido? Create An Emergency PlanIf you’re in the midst of dealing with some other emergency with your parent, you don’t want to compound the headaches by having to improvise on the care of your parent’s pets. You need to have a conversation with your aging parents to get some details on the family animals, and figure out a Pet Care Plan -- short-term and long. You need to know: Seniors and PetsUse this conversation about pets as a stepping stone to other planning conversations with your aging parents. As you continue to show care and compassion for your parents' situation and demonstrate that you are on the same team, you build trust and lay a foundation for even more difficult conversations about their future. Go to talk early talk often with aging parents Home Page |
