16
Of a certain age Wednesday, September 18, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Of a certain age...
.18.19
Living the best years of your life in Sisters
9
Finding your next
adventure ........... pg. 18
Aging gracefully in an
anti-aging world .. pg. 19
Seeking guidance to
navigate aging .... pg. 21
Navigating the
Medicare maze ....pg. 23
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/JACOBLUND
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
Companion
pets for older
adults
Anyone who has ever
stroked a dog9s soft ears or
felt the gentle rumble of a
cat9s purr knows the calming
feeling an animal can offer.
Animals offer compan-
ionship and unconditional
love; they can improve
health and general well-
being, especially in the older
adult population.
The most serious problem
for older adults is not dis-
ease; it9s loneliness. Elderly
people, especially those liv-
ing in residential care facili-
ties, are at a higher risk for
developing depression.
When they are without a
spouse or children around to
keep them company, many
seniors begin to feel isolated.
Studies have shown that
companion animals have
the ability to lift the spir-
its of people who live alone
and provide unconditional
friendship and enrichment.
Research studies have
found that having a pet
has significant benefits for
seniors9 mental, physical,
and emotional health 4 in
other words, pets are good
for your body and soul.
Dogs are great for providing
physical exercise, socializa-
tion, and overall day-to-day
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companionship. Getting out
for a daily walk, or even just
playing with a dog indoors, is
an enjoyable form of activity,
and seniors can choose a dog
whose exercise demands are
equal with their own needs
and physical limitations.
With the increasing num-
bers of pet-friendly assisted
living communities, more
seniors than ever are able to
keep their longtime compan-
ions with them in the next
stage of their lives.
Alea Schliep, life enrich-
ment coordinator from The
Lodge in Sisters, told The
Nugget a special story of
how a lonely resident9s life
turned around after adopting
a small dog.
<A few years ago, when I
was working at an assisted-
living facility, I had a resident
who became withdrawn. His
wife had passed away and
he was lonely. I had set up
a field trip for the residents
to visit a humane society
Year-round
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and I was hoping this resi-
dent might connect with an
animal. He really liked this
one dog and adopted her that
day. His life turned around.
His behavior changed and he
was happy again.=
She added, <Residents
in a facility need that spe-
cial animal waiting for them
when they go back to their
rooms after lunch, activities,
or an outing. They become
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See PETS on page 17
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Insured & Bonded
Veteran & Senior Discounts
attached to a companion
animal that brings them so
much joy.=
Choosing the right dog
for a senior can be a fun and
enriching process. It starts
with assessing the needs and
wants of a prospective pet
parent.
Some breeds require
more exercise than others. If
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