Dogs are incredible animals with pure hearts full of enthusiasm and love. Senior dogs have been shown to have a plethora of positive effects on the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of people. The contagious joyful nature of a dog's personality is one of the many reasons that in-home care services, such as Senior Helpers of Southwest Houston, encourage dogs if at all possible for your senior. Dogs foster mental and emotional health and well-being in their owners in a multitude of ways. While dogs do require some caretaking of their own, the rewards are well worth the effort as dogs may have such a positive impact on the lives of their people.
Dogs Promote Physical Exercise
One of the most effective and important ways for people, especially seniors, to boost mental and emotional well-being is through exercise. Taking a dog for a walk can offer many benefits that are both physical and mental. For one, walking boosts circulation, which in turn, boosts mental health and helps to keep joints, muscles, and your senior's heart strong. This comes with an added benefit of the more walking and circulation a senior participates in, the better they feel and the more they will move around. That's a win-win for your senior and their dog. Another aspect of physical exercise that senior dogs encourage is being outside. Nature has a wonderful ability to foster emotional and mental well-being. A little bit of sunshine, fresh air, and being out and about can be tremendous for your senior. Additionally, walking a dog and being out in the community offers a multitude of opportunities for a senior to interact with the neighbors around them. Person-to-person contact is an excellent way to boost mental and emotional health. The caregivers of Senior Helpers of Southwest Houston are delighted to assist seniors in walking their senior dogs around the many parks and neighborhoods that wind through Houston. Your senior and their dog can be out and enjoying the great outdoors each and every day, reaping a plethora of benefits for their mental and emotional well-being.
The Reduction of Anxiety and Depression
Dogs have an uncanny ability to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression in their owners, offering seniors extraordinary mental and emotional benefits from their four-legged companion. Seniors are often highly susceptible to anxiety and depression for a number of reasons. However, having a dog can go a long way toward positively reversing anxiety and depression and allowing joy back into your senior's life. Most people experience lower heart rates and lower blood pressure on average when compared to those without a dog. Studies have shown that dogs help increase oxytocin in humans, which is good for the mental and emotional well-being of everyone, especially seniors. Being able to pet and cuddle a dog, along with having their company, moving around to walk and take care of them, and of course, having them give love in return all help to reduce anxiety and depression and boost mental and emotional health in seniors. Houston is a very dog-friendly town, and seniors and their dogs will find a multitude of places to visit and enjoy.
Dogs Help to Create a Positive Routine
Dogs and people both thrive when they have a good and positive routine. Dogs thrive on having a framework in which they know they can depend on being fed, walked, played with, cuddled, and even napping on somewhat of a schedule. Routines allow dogs to feel confident and comfortable that their needs are going to be met and that they are safe. This structure is not only good for dogs but also for their owners. The same calming effect that dogs experience when they feel confident and safe in their day applies to seniors as well, promoting mental and emotional well-being in seniors and their pooches. Senior Helpers of Southwest Houston can help establish a positive routine for your senior and their dog, along with helping them to maintain the routine once it is established.
Dogs offer many mental and emotional benefits to their owners each and every day, especially if their owners are seniors. Dogs can help to get seniors moving and get some exercise, which boosts mental health, reduces anxiety, and creates structure and purpose in their life. Senior Helpers of Southwest Houston can help your seniors to establish a routine that works for them and their dog, as well as help them maintain their routine to the best of their ability. Most importantly, however, senior dogs can help seniors to enjoy life and have fun, which comes with a bounty of mental and emotional benefits, much like Senior Helpers of Southwest Houston. Contact us and schedule an in-home visit today with one of the professional in-home caregivers on our team and let Senior Helpers of Southwest help you seniors in the Bellaire, Fresno, Houston, Manvel, and Pearland areas increase their quality of life.