All of us here at Promedica24 are over the moon to be discussing of the importance of remaining in the comfort of your own home with your pets this National Pet Month!

Caring for you and your pets at home

We understand that leaving familiar surroundings, such as a well-loved family home, can be a hard concept to come to terms with, particularly if a pet is involved. Live-in care can provide ease in these difficult situations, whilst also enabling your loved ones to remain with their cherished pet for longer. Receiving care within the surroundings of your own home can be extremely beneficial for many people and their overall wellbeing and mental health. Promedica24 has the ability to ensure yourself or your loved ones can stay at home with their pet for longer.

Live-in care is a great alternative to residential and it is suggested that 70% of elderly people would prefer to be cared for at home as it gives them the choice of how they are being cared for. Carers that can live within the home of those they are caring for are able to help beat loneliness by not only providing companionship themselves but also enabling the companionship between pet and owner to continue.

Everyone that is part of our team understand the importance of a pet which is why we all believe that live-in care services can provide someone the best possible way of being cared for whilst remaining with their treasured pet. This can be especially important for those who live alone and rely on their pets for company and day-to-day companionship, which can really increase their general wellbeing and reduce any anxiety they may live with. Our live-in carers are there to provide care for both you and your loved pets – this can be from ensuring pets are fed to taking them for check-ups at the vets if it’s needed.

Pets can positively impact a person’s mental wellbeing

Being in the company of a pet has proven to create positive emotions, improve mood and increase levels of energy, which can help individuals to better cope with stress and other mental health issues they may be living with. Pets can not only be a positive distraction from daily poor health but also give seniors a sense of purpose at a stage in life where they may begin to feel the loneliness of living on their own. Providing care for a pet can often give a person’s daily life some structure in regards to following a routine for the animal – getting up to feed them, taking them out for a walk etc…

A chemical called Oxytocin, which is also known as the “cuddle chemical”, tends to be released when pets and humans interact. When this chemical is released a strong bond between owner and pet is created, which can have a calming and soothing effect on both. Having an animal to cuddle can be a source of comfort and companionship, which is particularly important to the elderly who may struggle with feelings of isolation and loneliness. Pets are shown to also improve an elderly person’s memory recollection, helping them to regain access to past memories from long ago. It is also proven that those living with Alzheimer’s experience much fewer anxious outbursts when they have an animal is in their house with them.

Caring for a pet and receiving affection in return can create feelings of responsibility and improve the owner’s self-esteem, especially when they may feel lonely, depressed or anxious. Caring for cats could be particularly suitable to older people as they are well-known for being low-maintenance due to their level of independence and self-sufficiency. For those who may struggle with physical mobility, owning a cat is more beneficial as there is no worry about walking or exercising the pet, unlike other pets such as dogs. Although there is less physical activity involved in caring for pets like cats, the desired companionship is still there, meaning the owner can benefit from this.

Physical benefits of owning a pet

An improvement in mental wellbeing can have an equally positive effect on a person’s physical health. Owning a pet may help lower stress levels, which can massively reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease as a result. By simply stroking your kitten, stress hormone cortisol levels are reduced in our bodies, which consequently impacts blood pressure and cholesterol levels and minimises the risk of many heart diseases, including stroke. Pets are also a great way to increase motivation for physical exercise. Animals such as dogs are fantastic at encouraging owners to get out the house for some exercise which is great for those who may be suffering with depression.

It is considered that one of the most comforting sounds is a cat purring and it is also associated to a therapeutic healing ability on human bones and muscles. Previous studies have shown that frequencies between 18-35 HZ can have a very positive effect on joint mobility after injuries, which demonstrates the physical benefits of owning a cat, since the frequency of purr vibrations is at 20-140 HZ.

Get involved with National Pet Month and enjoy life with your pets!

If you would like to find out more or access our services, please visit promedica24.co.uk to use our online chat service. You can also get in touch with our team on 0800 086 8686 or by sending an email to care@promedica24.co.uk. If you’d like to assess your care and support needs rapidly online, we have a tool available for you to do this.