What to Expect From Pet Friendly Assisted Living in Kalamazoo
Over half of older Americans (55%) own pets. The National Poll on Healthy Aging breaks this down, finding that 68% of these individuals have dogs while 48% care for a cat.
Regardless of the type of animal you love, they're unequivocally family. Bringing them with you when transitioning to senior living is a top priority.
Kalamazoo, MI is known for its gorgeous museums and art galleries, making it perfect for adventurous seniors. Here, we'll discuss how pet friendly assisted living in Kalamazoo can benefit seniors and support a healthy lifestyle.
Pet Friendly Assisted Living: Amenities to Enjoy
Pet friendly assisted living begins with a beautiful apartment. After all, cats and dogs need ample space to run and play. They also need windows to look out of and spots to sleep.
The top Kalamazoo community is built especially for aging with pets. Seniors and their animals can enjoy large apartments with easy-to-navigate open floor plans. These spaces also have:
- Ample floor space for pet beds, scratching posts, litter boxes, dog toys, and dog grooming supplies
- Large windows that offer natural light and visual stimulation for animals
- In-room climate control to ensure a comfortable temperature for both people and animals
The community also offers robust amenities made for pets. For example, outdoor walking paths are great for dog walking. Pets can also play and relax in courtyards and designated common areas.
How Does Assisted Living Make Pet Care Easier?
Beyond the amenities offered at LakeHouse Kalamazoo, senior living offers general benefits that make pet care possible for residents. If you cannot care for yourself, it's impossible to keep an animal happy at home.
If you have chronic health issues, you're likely to experience symptoms like:
- Excessive worry
- Feeling constantly overwhelmed
- Sadness and hopelessness
- A lack of motivation
- Irritability
- Sleep deprivation
- Daily fatigue
- Headaches
- Chronic physical pain
To care effectively for a pet, it's important to mitigate the impacts of these problems. Luckily, Kalamazoo senior care makes this possible by helping residents:
- Get into and out of bed
- Navigate their apartment and community amenities
- Bathe and shower
- Choose clothes
- Get dressed
- Brush teeth and hair
- Exercise and remain mobile
- Use the restroom (when needed)
This assistance can mitigate the risk of common chronic health issues. Seniors feel better, making them able to focus on enjoying life with a furry friend.
The Benefits of Emotional Support Animals
With one in three seniors experiencing isolation and loneliness, older adults need to get the companionship they need in senior living. According to the CDC, feeling loved and decreasing loneliness can lower the risk of:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Cardiovascular disease
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
- Dementia
Luckily, pets can provide the support and companionship needed to decrease these risks!
Pets are kind and loyal. They're always there and don't have any priorities that come before their human loved ones. Seniors can enjoy the love of a family member 24/7, even at night when their cat or dog sleeps beside them.
Loving a pet also helps seniors feel a sense of purpose. They need to get up and care for the animal that they love, since pets require help from their owners to survive. This ensures that assisted living residents in Kalamazoo have a reason to get up in the morning.
Plus, since pets need to be fed and played with at certain times, they're a great way for older adults to establish a routine. They're more likely to feel a sense of control over their lives and be happy with their day-to-day schedules.
Pets and Social Connections
Pet-friendly housing offers residents more opportunities to connect with their neighbors. This isn't just because of the wide range of activities and events offered at LakeHouse Kalamazoo. It's also because residents can meet other pet owners in pet-friendly community amenities.
Two residents who meet while walking their dogs can bond over their shared love of animals. They will also walk the dogs on a schedule, meaning that they'll regularly be out on community grounds at the same time.
Why not walk the dogs together for companionship? Both the residents and their dogs can forge lifelong bonds and help each other enjoy community life!
Additionally, pets provide residents with an excuse to spend time together. If two cat owners meet at a themed party within community walls, they can bond over their love for their pets. This may lead to the desire to meet each other's cats and spend time in one another's well-appointed apartments.
Physical Health Benefits of Pet Ownership
Many seniors struggle with mobility. This makes it challenging for them to walk around and engage in daily tasks. Regular exercise can enhance their flexibility and mobility by:
- Boosting strength
- Making balance easier
- Improving joint movements
- Increasing hand-eye coordination
- Exercising the muscle groups needed for standing and walking
Dogs obviously help owners get exercise through daily walks. They provide seniors with the motivation needed to wander through courtyards and outdoor walking areas. This ensures that they can exercise routinely and improve their long-term ability to get around.
However, cats can also offer these physical health benefits!
This is because cats also require routine play. It's less strenuous, which makes it easier for seniors who can't engage in the same activity level as a dog owner could. But a cat still needs someone to walk around with a teaser and throw their toys around, so seniors can enhance their mobility regardless of their current physical state.
Enhance Senior Comfort With a Pet-Friendly Lifestyle
Now that you know the ins and outs of pet friendly assisted living in Michigan, it's time to reap the benefits of aging with pets.
Whether you want companionship that staves off loneliness or a reason to get up in the morning, animals can provide you with steady love and a sense of purpose. Caring for one is one of life's greatest joys, especially as you get older and need more reasons to feel young.
Our compassionate caregivers are excited to give seniors and their families an in-depth look at what life is like in our community's walls. Schedule a tour of Lakehouse Kalamazoo to see our pet-friendly amenities and services.