All care homes should have a pet policy says Blue Cross

 

Blue Cross is calling on all elderly care homes to have a clear pet policy in place, after our research found that 40 per cent of UK care homes claim to be ‘pet friendly’ but what this means in practice often isn’t clear or consistent and can lead to confusion and upset.

 

Two thirds of UK older pet owners said they would be ‘devastated’ if they had to give up their pet to go into care.

 

Our findings reveal that not all ‘pet friendly’ care homes allow a resident to have a pet but instead may mean pets are allowed to visit, the care home has a resident pet, staff bring their pets to work or that a home contains a fish tank. With a quarter of older pet owners describing their pet as ‘family’, we are calling for a more transparent, consistent and clear approach to help pet owners make this life-changing decision.

 

Marion Davies, age 82, lives with her cat four-year-old Blackie at Thameside care home in Surrey. Marion said: “I love Blackie to bits. She sleeps on my bed at night and comes into the day room with me sometimes. She is a member of my family.”

 

There are many benefits to older people having pets in their lives. As well as companionship, pets give older people a routine and a sense of purpose. Older pet owners are also more likely to take exercise to walk or play with their pets and pets also relieve stress and increase endorphins through stroking.

 

While we understand it isn’t appropriate in all cases for pets to live with their owners in care or retirement housing, we do recommend that care homes have clear criteria on where they stand regarding residents keeping their pets and the responsibility of residents living with their pet in the home. We have produced a checklist for care homes to create a simple, easy to understand pet policy. 

 

Feedback from care homes indicates these guidelines would be welcomed and, along with 65% of older pet owners, they would support a change in legislation so that care homes must have a formal pet policy and process for residents wanting to bring their pets to live with them.

 

 

Andy Seal, Service Delivery Consultant at Anchor, said: “Anchor prides itself on giving older people a choice of great places and ways to live. One way we do that is by allowing residents to bring their pets with them when they move into our properties.

 

“Studies have shown that residents are healthier and happier when they interact with pets. As well as reducing stress, having pets is also a good way for carers to initiate conversations with residents, particularly those living with dementia who find it difficult to communicate.”

 

Giving up a pet is a life-changing decision that can have deep, traumatic consequences. Our Pet Bereavement Support Service receives calls from elderly owners who suffer grief when they are forced to part from their pets.

 

Diane James from the Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support Service said: “Calls from older people forced to give up their pet because they are going into a care home are heartbreaking. Not only are pets an important companion in older people’s lives, they may also be the last link to a deceased spouse or happy memory. At an already difficult time for many older people, losing their pet can be seriously traumatic for them.”