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Page 6 Senior Times - March 2026www.SeniorCarePartnersMI.org269.441.9319 (TTY: 711) referrals@seniorcarepartnersmi.orgFor aging adults who valueindependence, our healthcare teamsupports what matters most to thewhole you at home. Aging at home,doesn%u2019t mean aging alone.We become the Primary Care Provider,home care team, pharmacy, transportationfor medical appointments, insurancecompany, benefits coordinator, physicaltherapist and much more for ourparticipants. Medicaid, Medicare + Private Pay, and PrivatePay is accepted. PACE participants must receiveall needed health care, including primary careand specialist physician services (other thanemergency services), from the PACEorganization or from an entity authorized by thePACE organization. PACE participants may befully and personally liable for the costs ofunauthorized services orout-of-PACE program agreement services.Call today to schedule a touror a no obligation in-homeassessment to see if youqualify.269-441-9319 (TTY: 711)When you want to age atyou want us.FAFSA is the first step to fundingfor college, training, and trades.Education for Everyone!Scholarship applications due March 1st!I have always been an animal lover. As a young child I had fish, gerbils, hamsters, and creepy-crawlies that I would collect around my yard and place in mason jars, which would %u201cmysteriously%u201d disappear overnight. At 15, while on a cross-county vacation with my parents, I got a tiny black kitten from my brother%u2019s landlord in California. She traveled with us for a week on our way back home and became my consummate companion while I grew into adulthood. She moved with me across the county again, when I went to live with my brother in California. My brother was in the Air Force and was re-stationed, so I found myself truly on my own, but she was always a familiar face. I also got the opportunity to adopt a dog and as they say, the rest is history.These two creatures got me through some difficult times while out on my own and accompanied me back to the Midwest to live with me in my apartment in Chicago, and then eventually moving back to Michigan into my first house. Since their passing, I have had many additional dogs and cats enter and leave my life, but the one thing they all have in common is that they saved me from the dark times. They did not judge, they did not lecture, they simply existed with me, no matter what.I got involved in rescue in 2012 so that I could help these amazing creatures find homes after they became displaced by either abandonment, hard times, or the loss of their human. In that process, I realized that for some people, having a pet is very important to them, especially seniors whose children were grown and had moved away. Mobility can limit visits out into public and family can be hit and miss with visits. Pets are there regardless, and they are always happy to just be with you.My 87-year-old mother had suddenly lost her cat some years back, and since she liked to travel, she decided she didn%u2019t want to get another one although she enjoyed their company. One day, when I was visiting her after she had surgery, I suggested that I could bring over one of my foster cats until she healed enough to be able to leave the house. She was hesitant at first because she didn%u2019t want to get attached, but I promised, that if she did, I would take care of her cat whenever she was away. Now, she and her cat, have a comical daily routine that sometime involves irritating each other, but she wouldn%u2019t have it any other way.I have a client who was homebound. His children either lived far away or weren%u2019t reliable to come by to visit regularly, so he had basically given up on everything, except for the fact that he had a very large pit bull that he adored. The dog is not very friendly towards strangers and is extremely protective over his person. I was able to get many services and assistance in place for this client, which he was grateful for. However, the one thing he was most concerned about was a nail trim for his dog. It took quite a bit of work to line up a groomer who would do a house call and wasn%u2019t intimated by a very grumpy dog. It took two visits, but we managed to get those nails trimmed; the client was ever so grateful. He confided in me that the dog was the only reason he was alive. That was an understanding I knew all too well.Pets can bring unconditional love and companionship to those who live alone or don%u2019t have regular visitors. They bring purpose to folks who may feel they are no longer useful. Pets offer significant health, emotional, and social benefits to seniors, including reduced loneliness, lower blood pressure, and decreased stress/cortisol levels. They provide companionship, a sense of purpose, increased physical activity through walking or playing, and better cognitive function.PETS ARE A HEART HEALTHY COMPANIONBy: Rebecca de Finta, Specialist, Calhoun County Senior Services