4 Tips For Seniors Dealing With Pet Emergencies
Pets are very beneficial for seniors and can make seniors’ lives much richer and more rewarding. However, pets do sometimes get sick or have health emergencies. It can be very difficult for seniors, especially seniors who can no longer drive, to deal with pet emergencies if they don’t have an emergency plan in place. It’s a good idea to sit down with your senior loved one and make a pet emergency plan so that if your senior parent’s pet get sick they can get help as quickly as possible. Use these tips to create a plan for pet emergencies with your senior loved one:
Know What To Look For
Home Care Assistance in Palm Beach County, FL: Pet Emergencies
Sometimes pets get sick but their illness isn’t life threatening. When a pet is sick but not in immediate danger they can often wait to be seen by their regular vet the next day. It may be easier for seniors to get their pet to their usual vet during regular business hours than it is for them to get to an emergency vet facility. Make a list of symptoms that indicate a life-threatening emergency and post it somewhere where your senior loved one can access it or where a home care assistance provider who cares for your senior loved one can access it. Then your senior loved one will know how to identify a true emergency situation.
Plan For Transportation
If your senior loved one doesn’t drive you should plan in advance for transportation to the vet. If you live too far away to come and get your senior loved one and their pet during an emergency there are options for transportation. Ride share drivers often accept pets so you can set up an account with a ride share service for your senior loved one to use if they need it. Or you can ask a neighbor if they are willing to give an emergency ride if necessary. A home care assistance provider who stays with your senior loved one overnight also may be able to provide emergency transportation. But arranging transportation now will save valuable time if there is a real emergency.
Sign Up For An On Demand Vet
One of the best services for pet owners is on-demand access to certified vets. There are several services that offer this. Some of them charge a monthly fee for unlimited access to a vet 24/7 while others charge a flat fee every time the service is used. But no matter which one your senior loved one chooses they will be able to talk and video chat with a vet 24/7 to see if their pet requires immediate medical care or if there is a home treatment that can be done to get them through the night.
Choose An Emergency Pet Facility In Advance
Emergency vet hospitals are open 24/7 but not every community has an emergency facility for pets. It’s a good idea to find the nearest animal emergency hospital and write down the address, phone number, and other important information in advance. That way your senior loved one won’t have to scramble to figure out where to take their pet in an emergency.