Pet Loss and the Elderly III
Pet Loss for our elderly friends and family members can be especially tragic. Most of the time the pet was the only family member that person had left. Older folks have already experienced much loss, of a spouse, friends and family members. Losing their beloved animal companion can be just as traumatic for them as a human death, for them pets are just as much a family member as anyone else. Sometimes there is even a deeper connection with a pet than with another human that only pet owners can understand. If the pet was a gift from someone now gone, the final symbolic link to the deceased loved one is lost. If there is incomplete resolution of past losses, the pet’s death can also trigger unresolved grief for the pet owner. It can also be a reminder that one’s own health is failing or that the later days of one’s own life are soon approaching. Do you have an elderly family member or friend who is facing the loss of a beloved companion animal? Here are some more suggestion of what you can do to help.
Sometimes elderly pet owners are concerned about what will happen to the pet in the event that they themselves become ill, are in an accident, are hospitalized or die. Many are fearful that their pet will outlive them and will have no one to care them. Sadly these concerns can motivate euthanasia of a healthy pet, or may discourage an elderly person from getting another pet after their loved one has died. You can encourage your senior citizen friends or family members to: 1. Carry a note in their wallet with instructions on pet care, a list of the pets, and who should be called in case of an emergency. 2. Help them draft an estate provision of where the pets will go. 3. Make prior arrangements with family or friends for the pet’s care. Finally, be there for them when their pet passes. Help them make arrangements to bury their pet in their back yard or in a pet cemetery. They may also want to place their lost loved one is a Pet Casket to properly intern them. Help them do the best they can to bid farewell to their beloved companion, it will lessen their grief.