Dogs therapeutic for hospice patients

[cougarnurse]

Interesting: Dogs prove therapeutic for hospice, nursing patients | press-citizen.com | Iowa City Press Citizen

“Hi Charlie,” she said. “You’re a pretty boy.”

Charlie, a rough-coated collie, and his owner, Dorothy Gerr, visit the nursing care center every Thursday. As one of the two Iowa City Hospice pet therapy teams, they are there to visit hospice patients but also visit any resident who would like a little canine companionship, Gerr said.

“You can’t come to a place like this and not visit folks,” she said.

Pet therapy is one of the alternative therapies that Iowa City Hospice offers, Iowa City Hospice Care Team Manager Erin Feldmann said. Hospice assists patients and their families with end-of-life care during the last six months or fewer of life.

Hospice frequently encounters patients who might be challenging to connect with, for reasons such as their diagnosis or cognitive ability, Feldmann said.

Having two hospice pet therapy teams “allows us one more avenue to provide a meaningful connection,” she said.

“It’s kind of like a glove on a hand — it fits so well with our mission of adding life to days,” Feldmann said.

During their time Thursday with Corrigan, she pet Charlie’s head and scratched around his ears before he decided to relax by laying on her feet as she sat on the edge of the bed.

“You’re so pretty and cute and sweet,” Corrigan told Charlie. “You’re so good, sweetheart. I wish I had you.”

Gerr said she started doing Iowa City Hospice pet therapy almost two years ago, first with her dog, Mabel, and now with 3½-year-old Charlie.

Although she wasn’t planning on getting another dog when Mabel died, she found Charlie at the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center in November and knew that she wanted him.

“Finding a dog with that kind of temperament, I couldn’t resist,” she said. “He’s rescued and now he has a goal in life.”

During their weekly visits, Gerr and Charlie move from room to room throughout the center to visit with residents.

“Sometimes it’s more about the dog and they’ll be busy petting and loving on Charlie and vice versa,” she said. “Sometimes it’s a combination of both of us.”

“It’s fun for Charlie, getting all this loving from people,” Gerr said.

The pet therapy teams are available to potentially visit any hospice patient, Feldmann said. Patients are chosen based on the assessment by the hospice team, gathering information from the patient and their family.

If the patient is a former pet owner, that is certainly good to know, Feldmann said.

Through the years, Feldmann said the pet therapy program has grown and become more prominent. Iowa City Hospice will continue to welcome certified pet therapy teams, she said.

“My experience has been that being in a hospital or care facility can be isolating,” said Gerr, an Iowa City resident who works as hospital chaplain at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids. “The animals are an opportunity to be with residents and patients in a playful way.”

“If it were me, it’s what I would need and want,” she said.

Michelle Hand of Solon and her dog, Auggie, also are a hospice pet therapy team. Auggie is a 20-month-old Newfoundland, already 140 pounds with a big, thick coat.

“I had a love of the Newfoundland and just thought it would be a good pet to share,” she said.

“I knew that this experience would be rewarding,” she said. “It’s just so neat to be able to share Auggie with other people.”

Hand and Auggie started doing pet therapy sessions in June, working with a gentleman who lives in an extended care facility, she said.

When Auggie visits the care center, “he’s able to affect more than the one individual we’re going there to see,” Hand said. “It’s so fun to watch.”

During their trips to the care center, they sit and visit with the man.

“With having Auggie there, it certainly opens up the conversation,” Hand said.

“This gentleman enjoys watching his silliness,” such as when Auggie chomps on ice cubes or gets excited by the crinkling of a candy wrapper, she said.

“We chuckle about that,” she said.

For people like Hand, who are used to having a pet around during their adult years, she said she believes there is a huge void when an animal can no longer be a daily companion.

“When I’m older, boy I hope someone brings a pet by,” she said.

[suebird3]

Thanks for the story! Animals do tend to know when someone isn't feeling good, and they (the pets) do seem to have a calming affect.

[hppygr8ful]

I work with developmentally deisabled adults and have brought my dog a Golden Retriever to work on occasion. She has a calming influence on some but not all . I usually don't bring her around in summer because if the clients decide they don't want her around then she has to wait in the car.

I've been trying to get her certifie as a therapy dog for a while now - but she still gets nervous sometimes so hasn't passed the test.


Peace and Namaste

Hppy

[cougarnurse]

We have families bring in pets at times. The people just light up when they see the critters.

[chiwowwow]

I used to do pet therapy at the local care center on my day off from the hosp. It was amazing how the residents responded. I would dress up my chihuahuas & spend about 3 hours visiting. The smiles were my reward. There was also a TBI resident who rarely responded to regular therapy. When I put one of them on her lap & then gently moved her hands over the dog, first nothing, then very very slowly, she moved her eyes & moved her lips. One of the therapists teared up. What a paycheck.

[tclema]

What a nice story! We brought our old dog to work sometimes too (when he was still alive) in Germany and the patients just loved him. They cheered up and smiled and laughed when he came in. He was very patient and superfriendly. He would just stand still for people to pet him.

[nursinghumor]

It's easy to see why pets would be therapeutic. Even if a person won't get up to get themselves a drink, they'll make the effort if their pet is hungry/thirsty.

No matter how their bones may be aching, they'll reach out their arthritic hands for a chance to pet a loved one

For more resources, visit: http://www.activitytherapy.com/national.htm

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursefriendly.com