Leaving a beloved pet behind when it’s time to transition from your home to an aged care facility or retirement home can be a very sad, if not traumatic experience even for the bravest individual.
Pets hold special places in the hearts of many people, especially older citizens who, all too commonly, might be alone otherwise.
That’s why Pet-Friendly Aged Care, a national project aimed at keeping older people and their pets together in aged care facilities, launched their website this week.
The website – still a work in progress – provides a comprehensive list of pet-friendly aged care villages and residential homes around the country, with the aim to provide residents and families with a complete database of pet-friendly facilities.
Of course, while many facilities are not pet-friendly, a number simply choose not to advertise their status.
In an online survey by Pet-Friendly Aged Care, it was found that while about one-third of facilties allow residents to bring their pets in with them, 97 per cent allow the family pet to visit, 63 per cent have an established visiting pets program (often a staffer’s pets), and 57 per cent have shared on-site pets, including cats, dogs, birds, fish and rabbits.
The website also contains comprehensive lists of the facilities available in each state. Each aged-care facility completes a checklist, which makes it known what level of care they provide for residents (from retirement living to high care) and whether they permit residents to bring their pets with them, whether they can visit, or if the facility has shared pets.
For more information, head to the Pet-Friendly Aged Care website at www.petfriendlyagedcare.com.au
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