NCOA recently confirmed that 80% of pet owners report that their pet makes them feel less lonely. Given the heightened risk of loneliness for seniors, we have designed a pet-friendly senior living space in Mooresville, NC, to provide emotional support for seniors with ease. This fact is true in all of our community options, including:
- Active Independent Living
- Senior Assisted Living
- SHINE Memory Care
Read on to learn how we support those in our care, including through community open spaces, paved walking areas, clear pet guidelines, and various other benefits. Let’s ensure that your loved ones get the support they need and make assisted living with animals easier than ever.
How We Enrich Senior Living With Pets in Race City USA
In Terrabella Mooresville, we understand that companion animals play a significant role in ensuring the calmness of those in our care, reducing the stresses of daily life, and brightening moods. Whether it’s something as simple as greeting neighbors during their morning dog walk or engaging in detailed discussions about pet care, animals can also offer a way to connect with those you may not have known before, quickly building up friendships.
Social activity with both humans and animals ensures that people’s lives feel much more enriched, leading to happiness that they may not have had previously.
The simple act of taking pets out of the community building and into courtyards or onto paved walkways can also help those with us get more exercise than they would have otherwise. Caring for an animal provides opportunities for activity, as well as a routine or purpose that residents can use to ensure their lives have a sense of direction, too. The engagement this brings helps ease the transition from a family home to a community like ours.
At the same time, friendly pets are conversation starters with:
- Visiting grandchildren
- Staff and caregivers
- Other residents
- Those a resident meets on a walk
More active engagement with others keeps the mind active, increasing cognitive exercise and staving off long-term memory issues.
Walks and Activities
Several activities that we offer here at TerraBella Mooresville involve pets, and when your loved one brings their furry friend with them, it helps introduce them to others in our care. Examples of activities we host that a resident may be able to involve their pet in include:
Pet Therapy with Ziggy: These involve direct interactions with animals. Even if there is only a pet the therapist has brought, it offers a good opportunity to engage with an animal.
Nature Walk: These outdoor strolls are a great way to combine cardio time with the opportunity to take your dog for a walk. Residents with leashable animals may often be able to bring them, helping all involved to lead a more active lifestyle.
Cornelius Park: With a two-acre dog park, residents may find an opportunity to sit on a bench under the shade while allowing their pet off the leash. The three sections inside are often rotated through, giving both residents and pets a new experience each time.
Block Party Family Night: These activities are often seen in dog-friendly retirement communities due to the welcoming and open nature of such nights. As dogs are a part of the family, that only makes the time perfect to ensure pets get to see one another.
Please email the community’s activities director for more details on any of these that sound enticing.
Amenities That Are Perfect to Welcome Pets With
Within our community, we offer amenities that cater to both residents and their pets. For example, our private courtyard and gardens are perfectly designed to allow for repeat walks that will enable residents to make the most of their time with their furry friends. Many of the benches in these areas are also ideally placed to offer shade on hot days and help those in our care sit while their companion explores or relaxes with them.
Lighting in all these areas also allows for nighttime outings, allowing pets to perform their biological processes without needing to be in complete darkness. Then, waste dispensers are placed that allow residents to discard any messes the pet makes.
Within residents’ homes, we also offer a housekeeping and linen service. As such, those in our care need not worry about long-term buildup of dander and hair, as their bedding can receive a regular cleaning to help them avoid allergies or discomfort.
If residents with pets in memory care need to visit a healthcare clinic, our staff can also ensure that their companion receives the necessary attention until the resident returns or sources a long-term solution. For example, if a senior needs to visit a healthcare center or experiences an emergency, this care may include feeding, basic grooming, ensuring the pet’s safety, and taking the pet for walks, should they need it.
Understand TerraBella Lake Norman’s Pet Rules
When a resident first moves in, our onboarding process will include communicating our rules regarding animals. Those moving in should ensure that they have all the correct documentation to register their pet with the concierge team.
Naturally, residents will also need leashes if taking any dog outside the community and will need to promise to take primary care of any pets to ensure the animals’ comfort.
Most cats can move in, although there are limits on the sizes and breeds of dogs that we can welcome into our community. These limits are dependent on local regulations, so please get in contact with our team to obtain the latest information and avoid challenges should you find that a family pet is incompatible. However, we should be able to discuss your options with you.
Pet-Friendly Senior Living: Secure Retirement Alongside a Favorite Family Pet
Our pet-friendly senior living policies and numerous amenities can help you plan a way to ensure your loved one can move into TerraBella Lake Norman with a pet. Our indoor and outdoor spaces are also designed with such opportunities in mind, so residents don’t have to worry about their pets’ enrichment.
To learn more about how this works in practice, consider scheduling a tour of our community with us. Discover how your loved one can move in with their best friend and ensure their retirement is as promising as possible.
