Caring for Pets During Senior Cancer Treatment
Home Care Assistance: Senior Pets in Des Plaines, IL
Many seniors choose to age in place and adopt furry friends to care for. Pets can be fantastic for mental and physical health, and if your senior can take care of a little friend, it can truly help their quality of life. Unfortunately, as a person ages, they may start to suffer from disease and sometimes even things like cancer. When you learn your loved one has a cancer diagnosis, you may be tempted to ask your loved one to give up their animals, but the truth is, these little animals may help your loved one make it through the treatment and may give them something they enjoy going to at the end of the day. So, how do you take care of pets during cancer treatment? Here are some tips to take into consideration.
Hire Home Care Assistance
Even if your loved one does not have pets, hiring professional home care assistance before your loved one starts chemo can be a huge help. You will need to ensure your loved one’s home is in order and ensure they have a way to keep the house running even when they may not feel the best. It is so hard to go through chemo alone, and it can be harder if they have pets or people depending on them. Your loved one may be fully capable of caring for a pet on good days or even most days. However, things can change during chemotherapy, and it is crucial to have someone in the house willing to learn routines to take over when you or your loved one is not feeling well. Home care assistance can be a great professional to utilize during this time.
Ask Family Members for Help
The truth is having a pet during chemotherapy can be a hindrance. That does not mean your loved one should ever have to give up something they love so dearly. Instead, ask family members for help. If you are struggling with chemotherapy and your dog or cat needs more attention, you can ask your adult children to pick up your furry friend for a weekend. This will give you a needed break and give your cat or dog some love without giving them up forever.
Don’t Let Them Sleep In Bed
When you start chemotherapy, things must change to prevent diseases and viruses. Cats and dogs can be best friends for humans, but they carry a lot of unwanted diseases. You must place them somewhere beside your bed and have the space necessary to go through this treatment. Home care assistance helps keep the animals off the bed during this time. Cats and dogs can easily carry in things like ticks or other bugs, but they can also accidentally scratch you, which can lead to infections. During chemotherapy, your immune system can become very weak, which makes you susceptible to infections even if your body once used to fight everything off.
Don’t Let Pets Lick You
Letting your pet kiss you can be easy, and you may find it very cute. However, one of the main things to be aware of is that this type of love spreads germs. Your immune system will be weak during chemo, so it is important not to let your pets kiss or lick you. Pet saliva can carry many germs you will want to avoid.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Assistance in Des Plaines, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.
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