Pets are wonderful companions, especially if you choose dogs (or cats, depending on your preference). A home care service provider in Hawaii lists down the following ways they can particularly help improve older adults’ overall wellness:
- They provide companionship.
Your children are mostly full grown-ups now and living away from you, so you may find yourself alone at home most of the time. However, owning a dog can help dust off feelings of loneliness that may lead to depression. You can even bring them anywhere you go.
- You can have a routine and excuse for an exercise.
Having a dog at home also means responsibility though it isn’t very demanding. You will need to feed, bathe, or walk your dog outside on a schedule, but should this be tiring for you sometime, let a healthcare service provider in Hawaii take charge.
- Reduces your stress.
It’s the sense of having a company at home that needs you, wagging their tail with pure love to you as their master. Overall, older adults who own pets are less stressed out compared to their counterparts who are without.
- You can make new friends.
There are several shared activities for pet owners such as charitable events or communal walks; your shared love for dogs with other people is a great icebreaker, helping you to establish new friendships. At the end of the day, having a heightened sense of social connection despite aging can make anyone feel happier, and thus, maintain a healthier emotional state.
Companionship is one of the home care services we offer at Helping Hands Hale—that is, if you need a reliable, hands-on company, too.
