Calgary seniors communities should be more pet friendly says researcher
A researcher at the University of Calgary is calling for seniors' communities and affordable housing to become more inclusive for older adults and their pets.
Along with providing emotional support and other health benefits, pets can be a financial challenge for some senior owners, says Dr. Ann Toohey, a UCalgary researcher and adjunct assistant professor and manager of the Brenda Strafford Centre on Aging.
In Canada, 40 per cent of adults between age 65 and 69 have a pet, while only 22 per cent of adults aged 80 and older have one.
Not only can vet bills and grooming be expensive, walking a dog can be an overwhelming prospect, if not physically impossible in some cases due to mobility limitations, and some owners fear what will happen if they are forced to move to a non-pet-friendly residence or if their pet outlives them.
Part of Toohey's research has centred on a unique social service program called Pet Assist, which is delivered by the Calgary Seniors’ Resource Society.
The program sees a team of volunteers help disadvantaged and isolated seniors with pet care, which including anything from walking and administering medication, to driving an animal to the vet.
“There are increased barriers some older adults face with pets later in life and that brings up issues around ethics and social justice," said Toohey.
"We need to ask ourselves, ‘How can we promote social inclusion by giving our aging population the dignity of choice and the support they need to keep their pets later in life?’”
In order to protect their pets, some seniors will go so far as to not disclose their own declining health to doctor out of fear of losing their pet.
Others face increased anxiety about paying for pet food or pet bills.
Toohey is encouraging leaders, planners and architects to consider new ways to create more age-friendly communities that include better availability of appropriate housing and policy changes that are more socially inclusive to older adults and their pets.
“Pet Assist is a really important initiative because it not only provides social interactions, but keeps pet situations from getting out of control when an older person can no longer care for an animal on their own," said Toohey.
Another area of research is the use of robotic pets in care settings for people with dementia.
Toohey is currently leading an interdisciplinary research team looking into the ethical implications of introducing robotic pets as alternative companion animals for those who can’t care for a true pet.
While the research is in its early stages, Toohey says there has been growing interest in robotic pets during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.