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As Sarah Burke shows, Elderly people who are physically aggressive become more tolerant of people standing near them, when a dog is present. Animals seem to create a more relaxed and normalised environment for elderly people where they feel more at ease. Dogs clearly are important in bridging isolation and encouraging an elderly person to interact socially.
The benefit of having responsibility
The responsibility of pet ownership can be difficult for many elderly people. Although charities such as the Cinnamon Trust (see interview with member of the Cinnamon Trust,) are trying to ease this, for many elderly people it is impossible. However, arguably the responsibility that dog ownership brings to the elderly individual is fundamental. Unfortunately, other dependents for elderly individuals seem to end when an elderly person's career ends or their children grow up and start to have their own independent families. This can cause huge issues, as elderly people may start to feel they are of no value, and they no longer have a purpose in life. Dogs are entirely dependent on their owners, for their food, health and love. Although this relationship sounds one sided, caring for another living creature is hugely rewarding and comforting.
The importance of responsibility is supported by test participant Betsy Ferguson, development officer at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, America. Ferguson referred to her four dogs as her "children in fur coats." This shows that having dogs can bring about a similar feeling of responsibility to that of having children.
Physical Improvements
Not only have dogs been found to help elderly people by offering them psychological and social benefits, dog ownership has been found to have huge benefits on elderly people's physical health. Elderly pet owners were found to make fewer visits to doctors than those without pets.
This has become increasingly evident from various studies that have been carried out; results of a study lasting 3 years of 5,741 people at the Baker Medical Research Institute, Australia, shows that ''pet owners had lower blood pressure and triglyceride and cholesterol levels than did non-owners.'' This phenomenon can't quite be explained as of yet, however research is still on going.
As a volunteer of the Pets for the disabled charities explained to me, many people in care homes become withdrawn and confined to their. Within three weeks, the elderly people she visits were waiting in the communal room for the dog she brings on a visit to arrive. It does not take a scientist to realise being cooped up in one room, must have huge physical health consequences.
As well as this, dogs encourage an elderly person who is not living in a care home to embark on country walks, which improves fitness, therefore improving cardiovascular health. As well as this applying to an individual’s physical health, more specifically a variety of health issues have been shown to be improved by dogs. Take dementia, for example. Dogs may help an individual with dementia by being an affectionate companion, as suggested by many books such as Frena Gray-Davidson, the author of The Alzheimers Sourcebook for Caregivers. However, this is not the end of the dog’s assistance; my observation of Daisy shows memory seems to be aided as well, see observation overleaf.