“42% of Italian families enjoy the company of a four-legged friend, a real panacea for both the health of the elderly and the little ones”. To assure this, in an interview with Healthcare Information, she’s the doctor Carlotta Bernasconipresident of the Milan Order of Veterinarians and councilor of FNOVI, the National Federation of Italian Veterinarian Orders. Confirming how much the presence of a pet can improve not only the physical but also the psychological health of people, in particular those over 60, comes a survey conducted by Aisa-Federchimica, the National Association of Animal Health Companies, carried out with the aim of exploring the theme of the value of pets within society in terms of reciprocity, with particular reference to the ‘silver age’.
Support for active ageing
A pet is able to liven up both the home and the life of a person: “Let’s think of an elderly person who lives alone – continues Dr. Bernasconi – and who will take two or three walks outdoors in order to take care of their dog. over the course of a day or will dedicate himself to preparing meals for his cat. In other words, owning a pet stimulates you to stay alive and active, to guarantee them the care they need.” From the survey conducted by Aisa-Federchimicandicano it emerges that the pet is considered a member of the family for over half of the interviewees and almost nine out of 10 believe that taking care of them contributes significantly to the psychophysical health of seniors and people in general more fragile. Among those over 60, 63% of those who live with a pet evaluate their psychological well-being more positively than those who do not own a pet. Furthermore, 79% of Italians believe that living with or taking care of a pet significantly contributes to improving physical health and strengthening the immune system.
The benefits for the little ones
Pets are, therefore, an irreplaceable source of well-being for millions of Italians, in particular for the most fragile people. “Children can also benefit from the company of a pet. Not only in terms of responsibility for their care, but also for the possibility of experiencing the various phases of life directly and up close – adds the veterinarian -. A dog lives less long than a man and this allows the child to see him first as a puppy, then as an adult and, finally, as an old man. The little one, therefore, may have the opportunity to also experience the experience of death and, consequently, fully understand its profound meaning. Furthermore, a pet offers the possibility of coming into contact with diversity, making a child understand how important it is to take care of those who are different from themselves. This is a real lesson in inclusiveness.” The advice to expand the family with a pet is aimed above all at those who live in the city: “Adopting a dog or a cat allows children to come into contact with the animal world, an experience usually more widespread among those who live in the countryside and really rare in urban areas”, underlines the FNOVI councilor.
Health insurance for pets
In order for the benefits of this human-animal bond to be best expressed, it is essential to continue investing in prevention and veterinary care. “However, to date, veterinary care is subject to a tax of 22%, equal to that applied to a luxury good, despite the proven usefulness of the company of an animal for the well-being of a person or an entire family unit. Because of this, it would be necessary to establish health insurance that can cover both the costs of veterinary services and those for the purchase of drugs, which – concludes the doctor Bernasconi – they cannot continue to be a total burden on the pockets of those who take care of their pets.”
Subscribe to the Sanità Informazione newsletter to stay up to date
