Restrictions are easing. People are getting out more as businesses reopen and states allow people to access parks and beaches. Your dad is eager to walk his dog more than he has been. What precautions should he be taking?
Wear a Mask
If he’s walking around his yard, a mask is unnecessary. If he’s going to go walk in a public park where he could encounter others, he should wear a mask if possible. Some people have breathing issues that make a mask hard. If he can’t wear a mask, he needs to remember to stay away from others. At least six feet is recommended.
Use Hand Sanitizer
While he’s out, he should carry hand sanitizer. If he touches another dog, he should apply the hand sanitizer he’s carrying. He also needs to do that if he touches a stair rail or door handle that others touch.
Keep the Dog Leashed
Your dad may like to let his dog off-leash. If he’s on a walking path, he needs to keep the dog leashed. He doesn’t want to have his dog run up to someone else to say “hi.” If that happens, he may have to talk to the other dogs’ owners, which increases the risk of coming into contact with someone with the virus.
He also doesn’t want his dog picking up COVID-19 from another animal or person. It’s best to keep the dog on a six-foot leash and make sure the dog stays that far away.
Avoid Touching Other Dogs
COVID-19 can affect dogs as well as people. While the CDC doesn’t know of a risk of contracting COVID-19 from a dog, the agency does say it’s better to avoid contact with other animals as a preventative measure. Your dad may be tempted to greet and pet another person’s dog, but it might be safer, for now, to have him avoid it.
Home Care Services May Help Him Feel Less Isolated
Has your dad been having a hard time at home during the pandemic? If he’s felt more isolated than before or has struggled to keep up with housework and laundry when the family cannot be with him, it’s a good time to address the benefits of home care.
Home care does help with household chores like vacuuming, dusting, and laundry. It’s also a way to make sure he has companions as often as he wants. His caregivers can drive him to parks to walk his dog, join him on walks nearby, or keep him entertained on rainy days. Call a home care agency to make the arrangements.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/pets.html
If you or an aging loved-one are considering elderly care in Cherry Hills, CO, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare today. Call us at (303) 756-9322.
