Bideawee Tails from a Volunteer
BAW SENIOR DOG FOR A SENIOR by Florence Scarinci
Penni is almost 14 years old. In dog years she is a senior citizen. For most of those 14 years she has been a therapy dog. I often wonder when she will want to retire. Experts tell me that she will let me know when she has had enough. But if she is telling me anything now, I am too obtuse to recognize it. She still peers eagerly out of the back door of the minivan when we reach our destination. She still hops with some agility up the stairs of the schools we visit, although she pauses every few steps to let her hind legs catch up with her front legs. So I continue her schedule of "Reading to Dogs" each week, and visits to the school for the deaf every month, and biweekly visits to the nursing home, waiting for the clear signal from her that she wants to collect her pension.
In her younger days, Penni "worked" every Tuesday morning, in the physical therapy room of a nursing home. She would fetch and catch and willingly be walked down the hall by a resident with a walker. She was a furry member of the physical therapy team, with a significant part to play in achieving a therapeutic goal. Then last fall, she hurt her back. I don't know how it happened but all of a sudden she was limping. A visit to my trusted vet, a course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and some enforced rest, and she was almost her old self. But the vet advised that her career in the physical therapy room should end. The residents and therapists were as saddened as I was to hear the recommendation. Knowing what a difference and impact Penni had made and what a fixture she had become at this particular nursing home, the recreation director said that he would welcome Penni as a visitor to the upper floors where she would be a lap warmer and a spark for conversation. While no longer engaged in "Animal Assisted Therapy" she would still have a significant role to play by bringing smiles and reminiscences performing "Animal Assisted Activities."*
So one Thursday afternoon instead of going straight to the physical therapy room on the first floor as had been our custom, we rode the elevator to the recreation rooms on the second, third, and fourth floors of the nursing home.
For all the years we visited, whenever Penni would enter the physical therapy room, she would be greeted by residents and staff alike with big smiles and shouts, "Penni's here!" Residents would perk up and even compete to play with her. But at 3 p.m. in the recreation rooms there were no such greetings. People were either glued to the movie or soap opera or snoozing, having been worn out by a morning of therapy, a game of bingo, or a trip to the beauty parlor. From room to room we went with almost no one wanting to say hello or pet Penni or even make eye contact. Penni, who was used to being the focus of their attention, looked at me quizzically and for my part I thought, "If this is how it is going to be, I am going to quit pet therapy long before Penni does."
And then it happened. A white haired lady sitting in a wheelchair in the corner, spotted us and called out, "Penni's here." Ms. Marie had been one of the regulars in physical therapy. She would enthusiastically throw the ball and clap when Penni would catch it in midair or admonish her to try again if she missed. She was an avid baseball fan and loved the New York Yankees. When she "pitched" to Penni, she would call out the balls and strikes. "Strike One, Ball Three" she would announce as Penni scurried to catch the fly balls Ms. Marie had hurled. Doing her best Phil Rizzuto imitation she would call the "play by play": "Holy cow! Pop up to the Centerfielder," "Error by the Shortstop. What a huckleberry!"
"Oh, Penni," I haven't seen you in such a long time. Where have you been?" she asked as she stroked Penni's head and soft ears. I explained what had happened: how an injury had put Penni on the sidelines while she had so enjoyed being a first string player. "That's ok, Penni," Ms. Marie said. "You can sit and chat with me." I've been benched myself." For the next fifteen minutes Penni sat on Ms. Marie's lap and basked in her rubbing and stroking while Ms. Marie told me about her grandchildren, her travels, the blanket she was crocheting, and the trip to the mall that was to be the highlight of the week.
Eventually one of the nurse's aides ended our visit saying that it was time for Ms. Marie to go to dinner. As I rose to leave, Ms. Marie called out, "Come back any time, Penni, us Old Timers have to stick together."
I lifted Penni off Ms. Marie's lap and placed her gently on the floor. Penni trotted happily, tail up, to the elevator. "Well, old girl", I thought. "As long as there is a senior who needs a warm belly to rub, I guess you will be there to provide it. " What better therapy for a senior lady than a senior dog.
*Bideawee's program of pet therapy is divided into two categories: "Animal Assisted Therapy", and "Animal Assisted Activities." In "Animal Assisted Therapy" the dog (or cat, or rabbit, or bird) is part of a therapeutic modality. The physical, occupational, or speech therapist plans the animal's activity with a specific goal in mind. When residents throw the ball for Penni to catch, the goal could be to increase range of motion of a stroke affected arm. "Reading to Dogs" is also an "Animal Assisted Therapy". When Penni participates in a weekly structured reading program, the goal might be to improve fluency in reading, or encourage better diction, or increase self-confidence. "Reading to Dogs" is directed by the reading specialist or speech therapist. In "Animal Assisted Activities" the animal is not part of a care plan. Often the recreation therapist coordinates the visit. While petting or speaking or remembering (in the case of Alzheimer's patients) does have therapeutic value, there is no care plan or stated goal to be achieved. However, many miracles do take place serendipitously during these visits. Whether part of a care plan or just a weekly diversion, "pet therapy" is a much sought after program in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and schools.
PET THERAPY - NOT JUST FOR GOLDEN RETRIEVERS ANYMORE
BIDEAWEE: A NEW VERSION OF READING TO DOGS
AN UNSCHEDULED THERAPY DOG VISIT
BIDEAWEE DOGS and CATS GO GREEN
BAD ECONOMY BAD FOR DOGS AND CATS
LIFE GOES ON: Bideawee's Pet Loss Support Group
A Therapy Dog at College Teaches Important Lessons
Part 2: ADOPTING AN OLDER DOG: Joys and Challenges
ADOPTING AN OLDER DOG: Joys and Challenges
The Cat Who Changed My Life
The Lonely Cat's Best Friends
Therapy Benefits: What's In It for Me?
