Empowering older adults: Connecting with dogs to promote mental health – Ashland Source

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Updated: September 6, 2022 @ 5:17 am
The artwork accompanying this story was created by a local 95-year-old artist, Josianne Stone. For more examples of works of art that Josianne has created, visit https://www.gtgcreations.com/.
The artwork accompanying this story was created by a local 95-year-old artist, Josianne Stone. For more examples of works of art that Josianne has created, visit https://www.gtgcreations.com/.

The artwork accompanying this story was created by a local 95-year-old artist, Josianne Stone. For more examples of works of art that Josianne has created, visit https://www.gtgcreations.com/.
This story addresses the differences between pets, emotional support animals, and psychiatric service dogs for older adults, who are facing mental health issues, living with a psychiatric disability, or recovering from trauma. Benefits of having them share their lives with us are delineated. How this human-animal “connection” translates into empowering us — helping us to maintain independence and emotional well-being — is described.
When we talk about pets or emotional support animals, we usually focus on dogs or cats.
However, for example, they can be birds, rabbits, fish, miniature horses, goats, chicken, and ferrets. Dogs and cats, especially, can help us to avoid the adverse effects of being isolated or lonely, offer us companionship, maintain or improve overall health, and create routines to help us structure our days.
Dogs promote daily exercise, help us meet and bond with others, bring meaning and purpose to our lives, and alleviate stress through this human-animal connection.
However, older adults may decide not to have an animal companion due to the cost for care, the need to provide exercise and deal with daily care needs, the restrictions that may be imposed (if they want to go on vacations or trips, if they need to leave the house for prolonged periods), and past trauma associated with being around animals.
While discussed to a lesser extent, for those who have had pets pass away, grief can be overwhelming, and result in a decision not to adopt any more pets.
The artwork accompanying this story was created by a local 95-year-old artist, Josianne Stone. For more examples of works of art that Josianne has created, visit https://www.gtgcreations.com/.
Emotional Support Animals
This section will focus on dogs as emotional support animals.
The primary role of an emotional support animal is to provide companionship and emotional support. To be designated as an emotional support dog, it is NOT required to have specialized training or to be certified.
 Disabled individuals are protected by legislation (Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) to be able to have an emotional support animal live in dwellings such as apartment complexes that have no pet policies.
Verified animal owners cannot be charged an advance deposit or fees for having an emotional support dog. It will be necessary to have an Emotional Support Animal Letter or prescription (addressing the need for and specific benefits of an emotional support dog to the specific individual) written by a mental health professional – psychiatrist, psychologist, or other licensed mental health provider – or by a physician.
 An emotional support dog is not allowed to go places where pets are not allowed to be.
Certain dog breeds are more likely to succeed at being emotional support dogs. Optimal traits include being sociable, calm, gentle, and desiring to please their owners/partners with whom they are able to bond with well. These breeds include the following: Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Yorkshire Terrier, Collie, and German Shepherd.
Psychiatric Service Dogs
Certified psychiatric service dogs receive specialized training. The training focuses on how to help those with psychiatric disabilities to improve or overcome significant limitations by performing tasks so that they can function.
For example, some people with psychiatric disabilities would be unable to go to crowded places, to leave their homes, or to face chaotic situations if they did not have psychiatric service dogs.
Examples of tasks include: (1) letting the owner know that it is time for him/her to take medications and continuing to prompt until the drugs are consumed; (2) calming the disabled individual when he/she is very irritable or agitated; (3) decreasing stress and fear associated with being surrounded by (too many) people or trying to “connect” socially.
Psychiatric service dogs can help individuals with psychiatric disabilities, those who have psychiatric diagnoses or conditions such as Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Anxiety. To be considered disabled when living with conditions such as anxiety, the condition must significantly limit what you are able to do.
Closing Comments
Researchers and experts, such as Kennedy et al. (2017), have raised several issues about challenges faced by older adults, what needs to be in place when animals – that promote mental health and emotional well-being — become a vital part of seniors’ lives and in the future, the need for access to community resources. I will comment on what might be done in Ashland
County, building on supportive services that we already have set in place.
 Basic care demands require that the older adult has sufficient cognitive capacity, physical strength and flexibility. These include being able to exercise a dog, take it outside to go to the bathroom even in bad weather, to bathe the dog, and to maintain cleanliness practices in one’s surroundings.
o Some older adults may benefit from having assistance with walking the animal companion, with having a dog “caregiver” available periodically. How can we
connect older adults with younger people in neighborhoods so that the latter can provide help, as an example?
 One must have sufficient financial resources to pay an animal shelter “adoption” fee, to purchase food and supplies, to pay for routine as well as emergency vet care, to pay for medication prescriptions, to pay for transportation when needed.
o A limited number of cities in Ohio have animal shelters linked with the Pets for the Elderly Foundation (http://www.petsfortheelderly.org/). This Foundation provides financial assistance for older adults who adopt canine or feline pets – which may include spay/neuter fees and pre-adoption fees. How can we promote awareness of this Foundation to animal shelters and to community members, noting why this type of support is incredibly beneficial to older adults?
o How can Ashland County make it possible for older owners to receive help with purchasing or securing dog food – especially during crisis situations?
 Situations may arise when the animal may need to be boarded or cared for by another party temporarily or permanently (due to death, significant decline in mental health or physical health, placement in nursing home which does not allow animal companion to co-reside with older adult). Loss of this dedicated, non-human family member may cause marked grief, regardless of what the circumstances are.
o What can be set in place in Ashland County for older adults who are grieving — from losses of pets, emotional support dogs, and psychiatric service dogs — to receive emotional support? What can be set in place to receive financial help for burial or cremation costs?
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