How Geriatric Care Managers Help Seniors Keep Their Pets - Or Find Them New Homes

Confidants, companions, and often the very heartbeat of the home: that's what pets are to many people, and especially so for many seniors who live by themselves. A cat curled at the foot of the bed, a dog who greets you with joy no matter what the day has brought - these daily comforts can mean the world to someone aging alone. In fact, studies show that seniors with pets not only experience lower blood pressure and less stress, but are also more likely to stay socially engaged and active. Yet there’s a harder truth that often goes unspoken: the love is easy, but the care can become overwhelming. What happens when a morning walk feels more like an obstacle course? When arthritis makes cleaning a litter box impossible? Or when a hospital stay leaves a pet stranded with no one to turn to?

Families are often blindsided by these challenges, and too often, the conversation doesn’t happen until a crisis forces it. This is where geriatric care managers make an extraordinary difference: they help seniors keep their pets while ensuring safety and peace of mind for everyone involved. Otherwise, they do the next best thing, ensuring all steps are taken for placing the pet in good hands.

Pets can be anchors in the storm of aging. They offer purpose - feeding schedules, walks, grooming - and purpose is something psychologists know adds years to life. Yet that same daily responsibility can quietly turn into a source of stress. A frail senior might fear tripping over a lively terrier darting underfoot, or a fixed income might mean agonizing over whether to pay for medications for themselves or the pet. Surprisingly, many seniors will go to great lengths to hide these struggles, skipping meals or medical appointments rather than admit they’re having trouble caring for their animal, all out of fear someone will take the pet away. This makes the situation not just emotionally taxing but potentially dangerous.

In our daily work, this is where a Geriatric Care Manager becomes part detective, part advocate, and part problem-solver. We take in the whole picture and design solutions that preserve the human-animal bond for as long as possible. Sometimes the help is simple but transformative: arranging for a volunteer dog walker, installing a pet door so a cat can access the yard without being lifted, or connecting families to nonprofits that offer discounted veterinary care. Few people realize such programs exist. Some animal shelters even have “senior pet support” initiatives that deliver litter, food, or medications right to the door. At times, unfortunately, we also step in when planning for the unthinkable: hospitalization or end-of-life. In these situations, our work looks different: guiding families in setting up pet trusts, naming backup caregivers, or even creating an emergency card for a wallet that lists who should be called if something happens. These proactive steps can prevent the heartbreaking last-minute scrambles that often end in pets being surrendered to shelters.

Another aspect involved the heartbreaking (but still necessary) conversations.

There are moments when love isn’t enough to make the situation safe. Imagine an elder with dementia forgetting to feed the cat for days, or a large, excitable dog pulling someone down on the stairs. These are gut-wrenching situations and we must approach them with empathy and delicacy. Rather than a cold “you can’t keep the dog,” it's important to validate the grief while introducing compassionate solutions: foster programs designed specifically for pets of seniors, rehoming networks that prioritize keeping animals within extended families, or gradual transition plans where an elder can continue visits even after the pet has moved on. There are even rescue groups that specialize in senior-owned pets, ensuring beloved animals are adopted into understanding homes instead of lost in the shelter system.

Know this: not every story ends with separation.

Many have remarkably uplifting outcomes. With creativity and persistence, seniors often continue enjoying their pets for years. One care manager worked with an 82-year-old woman with Parkinson’s who was determined to keep her dog. The solution? A daily pet aide, an automated feeder, and nonslip mats by food and water bowls to prevent spills and falls. Another GCM helped a widower with a high-energy border collie transition the dog into his grandson’s household while arranging weekly visits and photo updates, allowing the man to maintain the bond without the daily strain. These stories remind us that with the right support, compromise doesn’t always mean loss; sometimes it means everyone gets the best of both worlds.

The toughest lesson is that waiting for a crisis almost always makes things harder. Families can take small steps now, like budgeting for pet care in retirement, researching pet-friendly assisted living communities, or even naming a backup caregiver in their will. Few think to include pets in their long-term care planning, but doing so can spare both the senior and the animal from sudden, traumatic separations. Pets are, after all, family. Their place in a senior’s life deserves the same level of thought and care as any other loved one. Geriatric care managers make that possible, bridging the gap between love and logistics so that both aging adults and their animal companions can live with safety, dignity, and devotion, together when possible, and thoughtfully supported when not.

If you or a loved one have questions about elder care, navigating transitions in later life, or complicated issues like an elder loved one’s furry friend (or friends!), Senior Steps offers 15-minute consultations at no cost. Contact us on our website, Seniorsteps.org, or call us at 614-405-8796.