Pets in care homes: 'I couldn't move if I couldn't take Winnie with me'

Patricia Cooper has moved from her home to an extra care scheme after a long and arduous search for a care provider that accepts pets.

The 83-year-old moved to in Tonbridge due to Rapport Housing & Care’s pet policy and says: “I just couldn’t move if I couldn’t take Winnie with me and most places said no, they would not accept pets.”

The move has made a big difference as the apartments have shared facilities enabling Patricia to still socialize.

“I am over the moon”, she said. “I grew up around here, so it is wonderful to be back, and I am just thrilled I could bring Winnie with me. In my old home, I was lonely, I never saw anyone and I couldn’t manage the stairs, so I was sleeping in the living room.”

When a resident with a pet moves into a care home or an extra care scheme run by Rapport Housing & Care, a support plan is agreed with the resident in line with their pet policy, with Jackie Little, its housing officer saying: “This includes a plan for what would happen should a resident become too ill to care for their pet. In that instance, we would support them to source alternative arrangements for their pet.”

Last year, the charity Blue Cross called for care homes to have a clear pet policy in place, after its research found 40 per cent of UK care homes claim to be ‘pet friendly’ but, in practice, this often isn’t clear or consistent.

Its findings revealed that not all ‘pet friendly’ care homes allow a resident to have a pet but instead may mean pets are allowed to visit, the care home has a resident pet, staff bring their pets to work or that a home contains a fish tank.

The Blue Cross believes there are many benefits to older people having pets in their lives. As well as companionship, pets give older people a routine and a sense of purpose. Older pet owners are also more likely to take exercise to walk or play with their pets and pets also relieve stress and increase endorphins through stroking.

Diane James from the Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support Service said: “Calls from older people forced to give up their pet because they are going into a care home are heartbreaking. Not only are pets an important companion in older people’s lives, they may also be the last link to a deceased spouse or happy memory. At an already difficult time for many older people, losing their pet can be seriously traumatic for them.”