Author: Theresa Van Baalen
Reviewed By: Catherine Braxton
Memory care facilities funded by Medicaid don’t allow residents to keep pets, but animals are commonplace in long-term care communities where residents are fully able to care for their pets. Facilities are also starting to offer pet care as an optional service, which may enable frail or forgetful seniors to keep a pet.
Most memory care facilities — even those where personal pets are not allowed — recognize the value of human-animal interaction and may allow pets to visit or have residential pets for all to enjoy. Some memory care communities have therapy pets visit from time to time to help fill the void. If you have a question about a particular facility, you may contact the community directly to inquire about their pet policies.
Having a pet has numerous physical and mental benefits. Living with a cat or dog can reduce feelings of loneliness and encourage social interaction. It may also help reduce stress, blood pressure, depression symptoms and anxiety. Seniors who live with pets are also more likely to be physically active and walk more than their peers.
There are some risks of living with a pet in a memory care community. Animals can be unpredictable, and they can bite or scratch residents. A cat or dog may also knock a senior off balance and cause them to trip, which could lead to injury. Falls are the most common cause of death from accidental injuries among seniors.
Even when pets are not permitted, many memory care facilities offer animal-assisted therapy — or pet therapy — as part of their memory care program, which carries many benefits for residents. Animal-assisted therapy involves interaction between the senior and a trained animal, under the supervision of a handler. Pet therapy may reduce depression and improve a senior’s general well-being, cognitive ability and behavioral challenges.
