One Health

My morning tea and evening journaling are essential parts of day that I always look forward to. Just as we have our favorite parts of our daily routines, so do our pets! Daily pet care taking activities like feeding time and dog-walks encourage us to take the time to care for ourselves as well. Setting a routine and sticking to it brings balance to our lives and the lives of our pets.

For us, keeping a routine helps with:

• Keeping up with essential self-care activities that preserve our physical and mental health, such as daily exercise, decompressing after work, setting bedtime, etc.
• Promoting focus and effectiveness in our personal and professional responsibilities.
• Feeling more secure with ourselves and others by practicing daily rituals. This is especially true for children.
• Reducing stress and helping us feel more in-control, especially during the harder times of our lives.

For our pets, keeping a routine helps with:

• Fostering a sense of security by knowing what and when to expect different activities. Thus reducing anxiety and stress.
• Maintaining a healthy digestion system by eating on-schedule.
• Making training more effective, especially crate and potty training.
• Creating familiarity with places outside of the home, like the groomer and the veterinary office.

What are some essential parts of your daily routine? How do you adjust when you have to switch up your plans?

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Kayla Anderson
Veterinary Social Worker
Program for Pet Health Equity
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Kayla your discussion reminds me of so many of my clients in the Knox PAWS (Placing Animals with Seniors) program here at the Office on Aging in Knoxville.  The entire purpose of this program is to increase physical, emotional and mental stimulation for the seniors that apply.  What a better way than to add a pet to their life.

I often note that the addition of a pet to the home decreases loneliness, anxiety and depression, but also secures a routine for the senior.  Instead of sleeping all day, or staying in their apartment confined away from others and activities, the addition of a pet encourages the senior to get up and take the dog for a walk, to get up and eat themselves when they feed their cat, get up and take their own medication when they give their furry friend its medicine and to get involved with other seniors that have pets by going on walks together or sharing stories about each other's pets.  

In most situations a "routine" has never been as important as it is after adding that new furry friend to the home.

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Monica Brown
Knox PAWS and Feed-a-Pet Manager
CAC Office on Aging
Ross Building, 2247 Western Ave., Knoxville, TN 37921
PO Box 51650, Knoxville, TN 37950-1650
(865) 524-2786 | Fax: (865) 546-0832
monica.brown@knoxseniors.org
knoxseniors.org Facebook Instagram Twitter
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@Monica Brown, all those are reasons that anyone homebound could be a great short term foster home for a older pet. :-) Win for the human = Win for the pet!

@Kayla Anderson, my service dog Chance keeps me on schedule and reduces my anxiety and stress. He was trained at Valor Medical Service Dogs where dogs are trained to be service dogs for Veterans, individuals with special needs, like children with autism.  He helps me stick to a good schedule, because it is what is best for him....and me. :-)

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T' Fisher, Director of Operations
Program for Pet Health Equity
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-27-2025 09:13 AM
From: Monica Brown
Subject: The Importance of Routine for You and Your Pet 🕰️

Kayla your discussion reminds me of so many of my clients in the Knox PAWS (Placing Animals with Seniors) program here at the Office on Aging in Knoxville.  The entire purpose of this program is to increase physical, emotional and mental stimulation for the seniors that apply.  What a better way than to add a pet to their life.

I often note that the addition of a pet to the home decreases loneliness, anxiety and depression, but also secures a routine for the senior.  Instead of sleeping all day, or staying in their apartment confined away from others and activities, the addition of a pet encourages the senior to get up and take the dog for a walk, to get up and eat themselves when they feed their cat, get up and take their own medication when they give their furry friend its medicine and to get involved with other seniors that have pets by going on walks together or sharing stories about each other's pets.  

In most situations a "routine" has never been as important as it is after adding that new furry friend to the home.

------------------------------
Monica Brown
Knox PAWS and Feed-a-Pet Manager
CAC Office on Aging
Ross Building, 2247 Western Ave., Knoxville, TN 37921
PO Box 51650, Knoxville, TN 37950-1650
(865) 524-2786 | Fax: (865) 546-0832
monica.brown@knoxseniors.org
knoxseniors.org Facebook Instagram Twitter
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