Pets can improve health outcomes for older adults living at home, overseas study finds

Pets can improve health outcomes for older adults living at home, overseas study finds
McKnights Home Care, by Adam Healy; 1/3/24
Pet ownership may be linked to slower cognitive decline among adults aging in place, according to a recent study conducted in England. “Older adults living alone are at high risk for developing dementia,” the researchers wrote in the study published by JAMA Network Open. “Pet ownership might completely offset the association of living alone with faster rates of decline in verbal memory and verbal fluency among older adults.”
Editor's Note: What happens when the senior adult becomes to ill to take care of their pet? Explore one  program, Banfield's "Peace of Mind: Keeping Pets and People Together During Hospice Care."