Dear [[First Name|Subscriber]],
Hi Readers,
It’s been a while since my last newsletter. I hope all is well and each and every one of you had a holiday season filled with family, friends and the joy that comes with connecting to our loved ones during that time of year. Now that we are moving into spring, I wish all of you days of sunshine with the beauty of spring.
In January, our publication name changed from Senior Living Strategies to Innovaging, A Guide to Aging in Today’s World. Other than the name changing, you will still continue to receive the same high-quality information in our newsletter and printed publication that you’ve become accustomed to. We believe the new name more accurately describes what today’s active older American is truly about.
I came up with the topic for this newsletter through a personal experience. I have a mother who lives near me and has health challenges. Due to my full-time work schedule and the fact that I have three children who keep me extraordinarily busy, I cannot always do the things that I wish I could do for my mother.
One day not so long ago my mother called me in a bind – she was feeling ill and needed someone to take her dogs to the pet groomers the next morning. I could not work this out on such short notice, so I put my resource skills to work and decided to find pet transportation. Sure enough, online I found references to pet taxi services located in the vicinity and contacted several of them. I went with a franchised operation called Fetch! Pet Care Services because they were willing to go and meet my mother early the next morning, and, if both parties were comfortable, they would take her dogs to the groomers for a reasonable fee.
My mother and my sister-in-law were both impressed with the service and now plan on using it on a regular basis. Both of them said they never knew such services existed, which led me to believe that there were many other people out there who probably did not know about these services.
In speaking with owner of Fetch! Pet Care of Central Spokane County, I found out a great deal of information about services offered by these pet professionals and decided to pass this information on to my readers.
Pet Services Provide Assistance to Older Americans Allowing For Freedom and Independence
Pets are often a vital part of the family. For many people, pets bring a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure to every day living. For a portion of the population, pets combat the loneliness and isolation that sometimes comes with aging, declining health, or the death of a loved one. Studies have shown that a pet can alleviate depression and actually improve a person’s health and overall well-being.
Active older Americans may find that they would love to travel, but do not want to leave their beloved family pet in a kennel, where the pet may be caged for long periods of time and surrounded by a number of other animals in an unfamiliar environment.
Older Americans with health issues may find everyday pet care tasks difficult, or impossible. As a result, driving a pet to a veterinarian clinic, taking a pet for a daily walk, grooming, and other necessary needs may go unmet. As mentioned above, some older adults, who love their pet the same as a child, may decide not to take a trip because they worry about leaving their pet in unfamiliar surroundings. There are services out there for reasonable fees that can accommodate almost any need of the pet owner in these situations. The question is – what should you know about finding the best pet care service to meet your needs?
Top Questions to ask Persons Who Provide Pet Services
Linda Dreher, owner of Fetch! Pet Care of Central Spokane County sent me some very useful information, including five tips for finding a pet provider. I took this information, researched further, and came up with the following vital tips for anyone needing pet provider professionals:
1. Find out if the background and experience of the company, or person,
meets the following criteria:- Ask if the person, or company, is fully licensed, bonded and insured
- Ask for at least three good references (and check them)
- Find out if a criminal background check has been done for the individual
or business who will be providing their services to you - Inquire if the company or person is a member of Pet Sitters International,
the world's largest organization for professional pet sitters
2. Verify that the company has established fees that can be quoted up front.
If a company or individual cannot quote you set pricing or a range of
prices over the phone, there is a chance that you could end up spending
a great deal more than you intended. This could also mean that the
company or individual does not have a professional business plan that
could cause disorganization, which may lead to scheduling or care
issues in the future.
3. Make sure you find out ahead of time whether or not the company or person you are interviewing can accommodate your pet service needs.
Some companies may specialize in specific areas such as straight pet
sitting, pet taxi service, or a dog walking service. Others may be a
full-service operation. Whether it be a pet taxi service for a weekly appointment to the vet, a walking schedule, or full service pet sitting for your vacation needs, it is essential that you know that the provider is licensed and capable of handling the specific services needed by you.
4. Request a meeting (free of charge) with the pet service provider to make sure it is a good fit for you and your pets before arranged services are provided.
It is imperative that you and your pet are comfortable with the pet service provider, and equally important that the pet service provider is comfortable with your pet before they care for your companion. In the case of an emergency or travel, you do not want to add unneeded stress and worry by not getting a sense of how the pets and provider interact.
5. Make sure you discuss whether or not the pet service provider and the company implements back-up measures if the provider suddenly becomes unavailable while providing pet care for your pet.
Life happens to all of us, sometimes causing plans and commitments to change. But, in the care of your pet who is dependent upon needs being met, it is crucial that paid services are carried out. With home care agencies that provide personal care for persons with health challenges, companies provide alternate caregivers when the primary caregiver has to be away at a designated time for what ever reason. A professional pet service provider should be able to provide you with information about a back-up, or alternate plan, ensuring that your pet is always taken care of.
6.Inquire about the pet service provider’s experience, including First Aid knowledge in case of a pet emergency.
You would never leave a baby or toddler in the care of someone who did
not know anything about children or how to handle an emergency. The
same efforts and care go into enlisting a professional pet service
provider.
Finding Pet Services In Your Area
This is one of those incredibly valuable services that are not widely advertised on television or in the newspaper and, for services like Pet Taxis, it may not be easy to find one in the phone book. So, where do you start when looking for the perfect pet service provider to care for your pet?
As long as you are armed with the right questions, there are a variety of ways that you can find services. Here are a couple of possibilities:
Check with your favorite veterinarian, pet store, or the local Humane Society. The people most involved with our much-loved companions are also sometimes the most knowledgeable. I have found that professionals in the pet care industry often have a love for all animals. Because of this, they will take great care in recommending businesses and people that they find the best to provide these services.
The Information Superhighway is the most comprehensive compilation of resources. This is the way that I found the Fetch! Pet Care Services for my mother. With the click of a mouse, pet owners can pull up local pet sitting organizations, individuals, and businesses who provide the services they need. This also allows individuals to check for possible complaints on Consumer Watchdog Sites and through the Better Business Bureau.
There are also sites that can assist you in finding pet care providers such as
www.care.com, which prescreens the listed service providers. The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters is a reputable organization that lists members on the website at
www.petsitters.org. The site also has a great deal of valuable information about looking for a petsitter, including a 20-page disaster preparedness guide.
I know that my pets are a large part of my life and happiness, and I don’t know what I would do without them. I know that my mother, and others who share her situation, rely on the companionship and loving relationship with their pets. I cannot imagine what my mother’s life would be like if she had to give that up just because she could not do a few simple things.
With this in mind, I encourage each and every one of my readers to check into local pet provider services and have a plan in place in case “life” comes up – taking a vacation, or having a crisis where a pet could not be taken care of. If the footwork is done now, and you meet with a professional ahead of time, the stress of not being prepared will be gone, and you can rest knowing that your pet will be taken care of.
I would like to give a special thank you to Linda Dreher, the owner of Fetch! Pet Care of Central Spokane County for her assistance with materials for this article. Any additional questions can be answered by Linda via e-mail at cspokane@fetchpetcare.com, or for more information about Fetch! Pet Care, you can access the website at www.fetchpetcare.com. Contact Fetch! Pet Care at 866-FETCHME (866-338-2463) to speak with a Fetch! Pet Care provider near you.
Until Next Time...
Shannon Wood
Editor
Senior Living Strategies
Your comments are important to us
If you have any questions, concerns or comments regarding these topics, or you would like to suggest another topic of interest, please e-mail Shannon at shannonw@lawtonprinting.com.
