Tips for Finding a Long-Term Care Community that Meets Your Needs and Welcomes Your Pet

If you’re transitioning into assisted living, may be stressing over being able to find a community that meets all your needs. Also, accepts your furry family member. Forbes states approximately 75 percent of all senior communities welcome pets. You’ll still need to find the right fit for you. Consider your budget and your animal companion.  You’ll want to make sure that the living space is right to accommodate you and your pet.

Whether you share your life with a cat, dog, rabbit, or bird, finding a pet-friendly assisted living facility isn’t always simple. However, it isn’t impossible either. Tips help you to find the right assisted living community for you and your pet, Pampered Pet Sitting invites you to read on!

 List of the Community Must-Haves

As you begin to search for a pet-friendly assisted living community, make a list of the features your animal companion will need to be happy and healthy in your new home. Cats, rabbits, and birds require less space than a large dog would, but you’ll still need plenty of room for your cat to play and your rabbit to obtain hours of run time each day.

Depending on your pet’s needs, you might also need:

• Safe, well-lit outdoor space for walking and exercising your pet.
• Help with walking and/or caring for your pet.
• Access to nearby veterinary centers.
• Assistance in cleaning your pet’s litter box or cage.
• Access to local pet food and supplies.

Don’t Forget About Your Own Needs

While your pet’s housing needs are very important, your wants and needs are what matter most in this type of situation. As such, it’s best to search for pet-friendly assisted living communities that fit your location preferences and lifestyle. The community you choose should also feature the facilities and amenities you want most in a senior living community, such as a private bedroom, pool area, fitness center, or onsite activities. To find the right community for you, be sure to tour multiple facilities before making a decision.

Paying for Assisted Living Community

In addition to finding a community that’s a good fit, it’s also important to take cost into consideration. Because Medicare doesn’t provide coverage for assisted living, many people choose to purchase long-term care insurance. Though the premiums for this policy can be fairly expensive the older you are. If LTC insurance isn’t an option, you can fund your new living arrangement through savings.  Perhaps by selling your home. Depending on the equity you’ve built up,  proceeds from selling your home could be enough.  It may cover a significant amount of time in your new community.

Simplify Life as a Senior Pet Owner

If you move into a senior community that fits your budget and lifestyle but doesn’t meet all your pet’s needs, there are other ways to give your animal companion the things he or she needs to stay happy and healthy. For instance, you may sign up to have pet food and supplies delivered directly to your home if you don’t have a vehicle or live near a pet supply store, or you can connect with Pampered Pet Sitting to help with the weekly litter box cleanup.

In addition to hiring someone to help with the litter box and ordering pet supplies, consider ways to make life easier. Maybe now is the time to splurge on a pet water fountain or an automatic feeder.

A Final Word

As we age, our need for animal companionship becomes greater than ever — especially when we live alone. While many assisted living communities recognize this and accommodate senior residents with pets, it’s important that we take the time to find a facility that best fits our pet’s needs as well as our budget and lifestyle.