Welcome
 

 

 

You’d think that at one hundred and one years old your major worries would be behind you.  But not for Jessie Dujim who became a resident of a New South Wales (Australia) nursing home when she had a stroke. 

But, after recovering, Jessie couldn’t get out.  Her grand niece, Justine Starvis, came to the rescue.  She said: “ Jessie told me she’d suffered so much through life, all she wanted was to live peacefully at home and be with her beloved dog Daisy”.  

It’s an interesting story highlighting the plight of the very aged and the reforms recommended by the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into Older Australians.  But not least, of course, the loving connection between the aged and their companion animals.  

 

 
 
A warm welcome to Australia’s only website for community organizations looking for expert advice about the best way to develop and deliver programs to support the elderly and disabled living at home with companion animals.
 
You have identified the need for strategies to keep your elderly and disabled clients and their pets together but don’t have time or know how to start?  We can show you how.
 
What’s a pet support program?
 
Many older Australians reside in nursing homes.  But the vast majority live in their own homes and more than 60% of Australian households have a pet and that pet is regarded as part of the family.  This is humorously reflected in that old Aussie saying: “ If you insult the other half I won’t be happy but if you insult the dog we’ll be out the back to sort it out.”  If you’re able to drive to the vet, walk your dog and chase the cat around when it’s time for grooming you’re OK.
 
But what happens if ageing, low income, chronic illness and frailty determine what you can and can’t do for your pet?  Stress, anxiety and loneliness is what happens. If you’re already battling to maintain your health and independence it’s unlikely that more worry, let alone the grief and loneliness at having to part with a beloved pet, is going to add much to it. 
 
What if your local aged and disability service offered a quality program of volunteers to help you keep your pet happy and healthy?  Here’s just a few examples:
  • Social isolation is a known risk factor in the health of older people and pets reduce it ‘Housing, loneliness and health‘ 
  • Improved health for both pet and person
  • Increased monitoring of clients
  • Decrease in nuisance behavior from neglected pets.
Not to mention the tremendous contribution companion animals make to community cohesion.
 
Make no mistake: More and more smart aged and disability service providers committed to wholistic client care know that:
 
To support a pet is to support the person!
 
We Walk the Talk
 
Real Animals Pets and People has been actively involved in co ordination, promotion, advocacy and development of pet support programs since 2003. It’s our mission to ensure that ageing and disability mean the continuation of a normal Australian lifestyle choice: having a pet.  Not the hardship and struggle it too often is.
 
Real Animals Pets and People has made presentations about the need to address this significant gap in aged care services at:
  • The Home and Community Care (HACC) National Conference, Brisbane 2011
  • Wesley Do Care
  • Local Government Professionals (LG Pro)
  • The HACC consultation into Social Support (Victoria)
  • The National Ageing Research Institute
And many regional aged and disability professional organizations, local governments and national welfare organizations. 
Interest – particularly from local government – in establishing companion animal support programs has increased by at least 70% since our 2008 report Identifying the Need for Companion Animal Support in the HACC Target Population
 

 
Why make it a problem for your clients?
 
Aged and disabled Australians living at home have pets.  That’s the reality. They may receive one or a combination of support services like Meals on Wheels, cleaning, home maintenance and so on.  But what about their dependence on their  pet?  Remember, the majority of Australians regard their pets as part of the family.  Be in no doubt that, at the very least, this means there’s a valued relationship going on between your client and their pet. Pets of Older People (POOPS) was established in 2003 because of the number of elderly people declining medical and hospital care because there was no one to care for their pets while they were away.  
 
In other words, elderly people put their own health at risk for the sake of their pets.  POOPS has 200 two legged clients and just as many four legged clients.  How many others are out there?  It’s a fact. Doctors, allied health professionals and direct care workers know all about this.
 
If, within your own community wherever it might be, you haven’t heard of clients facing the same dilemma, we’ll walk starkers along any main street of your choosing!
 
Some examples:

A woman suffering dementia refused to go to a nursing home because she was worried her dog would be seized and euthanized.  Who helped?  The direct care worker who cleaned this woman’s house made arrangements and drove the dog to a boarding kennel – in her own time. Only by chance we found out about it and re homed little Pixie with a family who dotes on her – in our own time.

That’s them! A happy family!

An elderly widow – with two much loved Golden Retrievers, her only companions – was so intimidated by an over zealous animal management officer’s visit (after the new neighbours complained that the dogs were often on the front verandah) she euthanized them.

A woman with a disability which prevented her from bathing and brushing her two dogs.  Home care workers declined service because of the dog hair.

We come across these problems on a weekly basis.  Our research report Identifying the Need for Companion Animal Support in the HACC Target Population discovered that many clients receiving aged and disability services get ad hoc services for their pets whether through the efforts of workers or case managers who go out of their way to help.   In other words services are providing pet support anyway but with little benchmarking, training and organisation.  With the emergence of wholistic client assessment supporting a valued family member, a pet, who offers so many benefits to the client should not be an ad hoc practice. 

Remember:  To support the pet is to support the person

Pet support is no longer a marginal, feel-good addition to services.  It’s an essential service. A well planned and sustainable pet support program solves these problems, enhances quality of life, health and social connection for your client.