| Senior
Residences For Fifi, Fido and You |
| The benefits of pet ownership, such as companionship, exercise,
and just plain fun, are well-known. For seniors, particularly,
pet ownership has well-documented health benefits. Studies
have shown that when people pet animals their blood pressure,
heart rate, and temperature decrease. |
| The regular activities of pet ownership, such as getting
up to feed a pet, walking a dog, or brushing a cat can increase
physical mobility and help seniors stick to a regular routine.
Anyone who has experienced the pleading eyes of a dog requesting
a walk, right now, or has heard the pathetic meows of a cat
who claims to be starving will understand. |
| Not to mention the challenges posed by extricating one's
ankles from a leash or keeping on one's toes to avoid hairballs.
|
| The Delta Society, The Human-Animal Connection, cites among
the varied health benefits to seniors: |
| • Seniors with dogs go to the doctor less. Dogs are preventative
and therapeutic against everyday stress. |
| • For people aged 65-78, dogs are a major factor of conversations
with passersby. Companion animals readily elicit friendly
responses. |
| • Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels. |
| • Pet owners have fewer minor health problems, lower medical
costs, better psychological well being, and higher one-year
survival rates following coronary heart disease. |
| • Pets promote social interaction, decrease the feeling
of loneliness and isolation, and increase morale and optimism.
|
| • Pets encourage playfulness, exercise, and promote laughter.
|
| • Pets satisfy the need for touch and to be touched, and
give nonjudgmental warmth and affection. |
| Although these benefits have been widely reported, they
are not always honored in practice. |
| Many pet owners have been in the position of needing to
move and not being able to find suitable rental housing that
will accept pets. This can be a special problem for seniors
whose options may be more limited. Some elderly people stay
in houses that they can no longer maintain just so they can
keep their animals. Lack of pet-friendly housing is one of
the most commonly cited reasons when pets are turned in to
an animal shelter. |
| I can't forget the sad case of an elderly woman whose terminally
ill husband arranged to sell their house and purchased a condominium
for her to move into upon his death. When he died, she found
that the building did not accept pets. Believing that her
beloved 16-year old cat could not accept a new owner, she
arranged for a friend to take the cat to be euthanized on
the day of the husband's funeral because, as she wrote, "I
knew I couldn't feel any sadder." |
| Fortunately, Reston in general is pet-friendly, especially
the rental apartment buildings, judging by an informal survey.
More than a dozen say they accept pets, although with various
limitations, and usually at extra cost, either in the form
of nonrefundable fees or refundable deposits and frequently
with an additional monthly "pet rent" charge. |
| One of the most specific policies is at Reston Landing,
which is so pet-friendly it keeps a supply of dog bones in
the clubhouse. The one-time, non-refundable fee is $400 for
cats and small dogs; $550 for those over 25 lbs., dogs or
really fat cats. Two small or one large pet is allowed per
apartment, with a $25 rent charge. Certain breeds of dogs
are prohibited: Pit Bulls, Dobermans, Rotweillers, Chows,
and German Shepherds. No exotic pets are allowed. This is
fairly typical of Reston apartments, although the details
of weight, fees, and breed restrictions differ. |
| At the other end, Charter Oaks accepts all pets, so long
as they are friendly, defined as "doesn't bite or claw the
manager" and accepts "friendly" snakes, iguanas, birds and
fish. The pet fee of $400 can be paid in three installments
and there's no additional pet rent. |
| A list of Reston apartment buildings with specific pet policies
is available at The Observer Online at http://www.observernews.com. |
| Condominiums are more difficult to survey, but most of the
cluster homes appear to allow some pets, as do some high-rise
condos. Because the rules are set by the board of owners,
they can change. One condo building that doesn't allow pets,
but formerly did, still has some cats that were "grandfathered
in" when the change was made several years ago. As one resident
notes wryly, "they do seem to be some very long-lived cats."
|
| The good news is that the management of housing specifically
for seniors appears to be especially aware of the benefits
of pets to older residents and tries to accommodate them in
various ways. |
| Thoreau Place, independent living condos for ages 55 and
up, allows either cats or dogs under 15 lbs. There is no additional
charge. |
| Kendrick Court at McNair Farms, senior rentals for 62+ allows
two small (25-30 lbs) pets with a $200 nonrefundable fee and
$20 per month added rent. Prohibited are Pit Bulls, Rotweillers,
Dobermans, Dalmatians, and Chows. |
| Fellowship House at Lake Anne allows either cats or dogs
if small, with a security deposit of $300. |
| Fellowship House at Hunters Woods — cat or dog with a security
deposit of $250. |
| Harbor House in Herndon allows one pet under 30 lbs per
household with a deposit of $100. |
| At Sunrise-Reston the concierge describes pets as "one of
our warm fuzzies" and considers them very therapeutic. Residents
are allowed up to two per unit, with no weight restriction.
There is also a resident cat, and both groups and individuals
regularly bring visiting cats and one dog. |
| Tall Oaks at Reston has a couple of residents with cats.
The policy was recently revised to limit pets to under 15
lbs. They regularly have visiting dogs of various sizes, however.
|
| Cameron Glen Nursing Center has no resident cats, but families
are encouraged to bring their pets to visit residents. There
also is a volunteer group that visits twice a week, bringing
mostly dogs but some cats. Both residents and staff welcome
these visits, which have the desired therapeutic effect. |
| Perhaps the day will come when management of apartment buildings
and condominium boards will be expected to make reasonable
accommodations for people's pets, just as they are expected
to accommodate physical requirements. For many seniors, their
pets truly are "service animals." |
| |
| Seniors & Pets Websites |
| http://www.deltasociety.org/dsx300.htm |
| http://www.helpguide.org/aging/pets.htm |
| http://www.appma.org/press/press_releases/2001/nr_09-05-01.asp
(older pets for seniors) |
| http://www.hsus.org/ace/11809 Finding Pet-Friendly Rental
Housing |
