At Seasons Retirement, we put a significant focus on providing older persons with the most comfortable and familiar living environment possible.
We understand how difficult the transition from home to a retirement community can be, and we strive to find ways to make the move easier for our new residents, such as providing a pet-friendly environment for our resident animal lovers.
For instance, Seasons Royal Oak Village team members showed outstanding commitment to living our vision while leading our resident, Dolores, through a significant transition.
Dolores formerly lived independently with her beloved 7-year-old Shih Tzu, Molly. As her care requirements increased, Dolores and her family decided it was time to move her to Memory Care at Seasons Royal Oak Village.
When meeting with Dolores and her family, it was clear that Molly was a significant part of her life. It was also clear that Dolores could no longer care for Molly properly.
“Dolores had many tears throughout the process, knowing she would have to say goodbye to Molly. She was holding on to promises of visits with Molly whenever possible,” says Niki Mills, General Manager, Seasons ROV.
Niki adds, “Dolores moved in and was doing OK for the first few days. She quickly made friends, and our team fell in love with her. Even so, our team members noticed how much Dolores missed Molly. Despite their best efforts, they just couldn’t fill that void in Dolores’ heart,” says Niki.
Niki contacted Danielle Stevenson, the Senior Regional Director of Guest Services, who was determined to change the situation and provide Dolores with a pet-friendly home environment.
The team ran the idea of adopting Molly by Stephanie Sanborn, the Director of Memory Care & Education, who was thrilled about it.
Molly’s adoption meant that Dolores and the other residents could experience the benefits of having a pet without the responsibility of day-to-day care. Seasons ROV excitedly welcomed Molly to her new home in Memory Care and was happy to provide a pet-friendly retirement for Dolores. The team surprised Dolores with the news of Molly’s arrival on Monday, January 29, 2018.
The Seasons Royal Oak Village team and our other Seasons teams recognize the importance of seeking out opportunities to create “Wow Moments” in our residents’ lives. These types of gestures make retirees feel cared for, valued and like they are at home.
Residents like Dolores can take advantage of many benefits from choosing a pet-friendly retirement home. Let’s examine a few of them below.
If it’s time for you to move from your home to a retirement community, you may worry about leaving your beloved pets behind. However, by moving to a Season’s retirement home, you can bring your furry friends along and continue to enjoy their company!
Here at Seasons, we encourage new residents to bring their pets, as there are many benefits to be derived from animal companionship. Let’s examine a few of these advantages below:
One of the main benefits of keeping a pet is that it provides older persons with more opportunities to enjoy physical activity.
Older individuals with dogs will have to walk those dogs regularly, which will get them moving and improve their circulatory health. Pet owners with cats will also enjoy playtime with their animals, which often involves moving around.
Keeping pets can also help lower your blood pressure, which can help lessen the risk of heart disease. Lower blood pressure can also contribute to better sleep and reduced joint and muscle pain.
It’s been proven that pets can provide emotional support to their owners, which is especially beneficial for older persons transitioning into a new living situation. Making new friends and feeling a sense of companionship can be difficult when moving.
However, by keeping a pet, older persons can enjoy unconditional love and affection from their furry friends until they settle into their new surroundings and get to know their fellow residents better.
In addition to preventing loneliness, there are other mental health advantages to keeping a pet in your retirement home.
For instance, keeping a pet requires an older person to maintain a regular daily routine of feeding, watering, and walk their pet. A steady routine to manage immediately upon moving will help keep a retiree’s spirits up and contribute to their reasons for getting up daily.
Keeping an animal also provides mental stimulation. Caring for a pet can contribute to improved cognitive function, which helps reduce the possibility of developing dementia.
Owning a pet is a natural way to become acquainted with others in your community. You can take your pet on walks with fellow retirees who have pets, providing an excellent opportunity to get to know one another.
Having something in common, like a shared love of animals, will act as a great conversation starter, and before you know it, you’ll have made many new friends you can interact with on all levels!
Here at Season’s Retirement, we want our new residents to feel as at home as possible, so we think it’s crucial for residents to bring all their loved ones along on the journey, including their furry friends!
If you’re considering switching to retirement living, you needn’t worry about trying to find a new home for your pet; you are welcome to bring them to your chosen Seasons location!
There are many benefits from keeping a pet during your transition to retirement, from improved physical health to better cognitive function. As you settle into your new home, we hope you’ll take advantage of all the benefits keeping a pet will provide!