Therapy dogs and Veterans
Take the time to remember those who help others lives in so many ways.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Lest we forget.
Its the time of year where we take a little extra time to remember those who have fought so hard for what they believe in, have lost their lives, their limbs or a piece of themselves for us to have what we have today. Below is a link to a beautiful piece on AAT and injured vets.
Therapy dogs and Veterans
Take the time to remember those who help others lives in so many ways.
Therapy dogs and Veterans
Take the time to remember those who help others lives in so many ways.
Monday, 17 October 2011
Mr. C and Lily
Fall is here and of course, cold and flu season begins. Working with seniors daily - either in Life Enrichment or Animal Assisted Therapy - I find myself using hand sanitizer and handing out "hankies" on a regular basis. Of course, I am definitely not immune to the common cold, despite my desperate attempts to combat this with the constant self administering of oil of oregano gel caps and echinacea.
One resident who resides at the Retirement home where I do Life Enrichment activities recently fell ill. There has been one of these afore mentioned "bugs" floating around, and at first it was suspect that this was the trouble. A day later, Mr. C became increasingly confused and unsteady on his feet; extremely uncommon despite his ripe age of 94 years, he was always an avid runner and fitness enthusiast. Of course, my colleagues and I had great concern and I proceeded to offer him constant attention when he was awake through the means of reading from favourite classic novels, assisting him in indulging in fruit salad with whipping cream or telling jokes from The Book Of Nonsense by Edward Lear. Although he was gracious and grateful, not much seemed to help his condition as we waited until late evening until a nurse from an outside agency could come and administer the appropriate antibiotics. Our resident cat, Lily, was always not far away, watching from the doorway or anxiously pacing around the bed beside us. Lily and Mr.C have that bond...a bond in which one is not very far away from the other.
Yesterday when I arrived at work and went to visit Mr.C in his room, he was much brighter with the help of the medicine received the night before although his now trembling hands were very apparent. By afternoon, Lily was up on his bed, as he cooed to her in between bites of his seafood platter and sips of orange juice. Mr. C had not much of an appetite prior to this but it seemed with Lily there lusting after the crisp breaded shrimp and enjoying her praises from Mr. C, his appetite seemed to whet just a bit more. After lunch we sat talking about cats and past furry friends we had and as I brushed Mr.C's hair, he brushed Lily's; as he did so, the shakiness of Mr.C's hands which was previously noted started to dissipate. The sight makes me smile as how we must have looked with Chopin in the background, primping. Mr.C then requested the New York Times and his glasses and wanted to sit in bed with Lily also requesting a glass of water for her as he said "She needs to keep her fluids up too you know." and smiled. Upon returning with the newspaper and water for both, Lily was curled up with her head resting on Mr. C's shin, looking up at him adoringly as he continued to sing praises to our fluffy grey and white working cat. Delivering the goods, I left the two of them to relax in the peace of soft light, bustling winds outside, classical, some quality reading material and noticed that the intense trembling of Mr. C's arms and hands had become a mere whisper of a shake. What was now noticable was his smile.
Animal Assisted Therapy doesnt always have to be planned and direct. At times, AAT can have the most effective result when the heart of the companion animal steps in high gear and seems to know what to do. Lily's patience and ability to comfort and calm Mr.C along with his anxiousness being controlled by some simple steps in working with Lily I believe truly helped along with tradtional medicinal treatment. Sometimes, even an act as simple as sharing a plate of fish and a hair brush can make a world of difference.
One resident who resides at the Retirement home where I do Life Enrichment activities recently fell ill. There has been one of these afore mentioned "bugs" floating around, and at first it was suspect that this was the trouble. A day later, Mr. C became increasingly confused and unsteady on his feet; extremely uncommon despite his ripe age of 94 years, he was always an avid runner and fitness enthusiast. Of course, my colleagues and I had great concern and I proceeded to offer him constant attention when he was awake through the means of reading from favourite classic novels, assisting him in indulging in fruit salad with whipping cream or telling jokes from The Book Of Nonsense by Edward Lear. Although he was gracious and grateful, not much seemed to help his condition as we waited until late evening until a nurse from an outside agency could come and administer the appropriate antibiotics. Our resident cat, Lily, was always not far away, watching from the doorway or anxiously pacing around the bed beside us. Lily and Mr.C have that bond...a bond in which one is not very far away from the other.
Yesterday when I arrived at work and went to visit Mr.C in his room, he was much brighter with the help of the medicine received the night before although his now trembling hands were very apparent. By afternoon, Lily was up on his bed, as he cooed to her in between bites of his seafood platter and sips of orange juice. Mr. C had not much of an appetite prior to this but it seemed with Lily there lusting after the crisp breaded shrimp and enjoying her praises from Mr. C, his appetite seemed to whet just a bit more. After lunch we sat talking about cats and past furry friends we had and as I brushed Mr.C's hair, he brushed Lily's; as he did so, the shakiness of Mr.C's hands which was previously noted started to dissipate. The sight makes me smile as how we must have looked with Chopin in the background, primping. Mr.C then requested the New York Times and his glasses and wanted to sit in bed with Lily also requesting a glass of water for her as he said "She needs to keep her fluids up too you know." and smiled. Upon returning with the newspaper and water for both, Lily was curled up with her head resting on Mr. C's shin, looking up at him adoringly as he continued to sing praises to our fluffy grey and white working cat. Delivering the goods, I left the two of them to relax in the peace of soft light, bustling winds outside, classical, some quality reading material and noticed that the intense trembling of Mr. C's arms and hands had become a mere whisper of a shake. What was now noticable was his smile.
Animal Assisted Therapy doesnt always have to be planned and direct. At times, AAT can have the most effective result when the heart of the companion animal steps in high gear and seems to know what to do. Lily's patience and ability to comfort and calm Mr.C along with his anxiousness being controlled by some simple steps in working with Lily I believe truly helped along with tradtional medicinal treatment. Sometimes, even an act as simple as sharing a plate of fish and a hair brush can make a world of difference.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Rest in Peace, Gizmo.
It is with great sadness and regret that yesterday at approx. 2:30 am, my guinea pig of four years passed away peacefully on my chest. Her estimated age is about 10, as her previous owner who was about to let her loose in Kensington Market in Toronto (a busy area) said she was about 6 years old when I rescued her.
Gizmo gave me an appreciation for small animals as companions as well as therapy animals. She accompanied me to class when I was in college for a presentation on Animal Assisted Therapy and wowed some of the students, as well helped me educate on aat and guinea pigs in general. She loved my dogs, playing with them on the carpet or among the clover in the backyard. She did not bite me once; even when clipping her nails or cleaning her ears. She loved lettuce and red pepper to a fault as well of course, as her Timothy Hay.
She is greatly missed and will be always as she helped inspire me to enter the world of AAT head on and I hope to still share great stories of all of her hard work and so many that loved her with all of the new people I meet at my amazing job.
**Please accept my apologies if I am not posting as often as I would like to, as I am also exploring strategies coping with my own grief at this time. I am so happy to be a part of such an open community in which I can share and have support. Thank you to all who have sent me your regards and condolences - they mean more then you know.**
Gizmo gave me an appreciation for small animals as companions as well as therapy animals. She accompanied me to class when I was in college for a presentation on Animal Assisted Therapy and wowed some of the students, as well helped me educate on aat and guinea pigs in general. She loved my dogs, playing with them on the carpet or among the clover in the backyard. She did not bite me once; even when clipping her nails or cleaning her ears. She loved lettuce and red pepper to a fault as well of course, as her Timothy Hay.
She is greatly missed and will be always as she helped inspire me to enter the world of AAT head on and I hope to still share great stories of all of her hard work and so many that loved her with all of the new people I meet at my amazing job.
**Please accept my apologies if I am not posting as often as I would like to, as I am also exploring strategies coping with my own grief at this time. I am so happy to be a part of such an open community in which I can share and have support. Thank you to all who have sent me your regards and condolences - they mean more then you know.**
Sunday, 11 September 2011
Can dogs detect cancer?
Tonight, a television station in Toronto called TVO aired a particularily interesting program called "Can dogs detect cancer?". I am providing the link below; the program will re-air this Wednesday. Just another way our animal friends help us in health and heart.
Link:Can dogs detect cancer?
Link:Can dogs detect cancer?
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Lily - A feline friend in AAT.
Hello to all and my apologies as I have not written in awhile! I do have lovely stories to share however, which will be written in the next two weeks. Now, on to the good stuff...
Most of us think of canines as being the predominant species when in comes to animal assisted therapy; I know I certainly did when I first began researching my now career. True, dogs are a great source of loyalty, joy, companionship and unconditional love, but as I have seen (especially at my new job!) cats also take the cake.
In Memory Care, there is a particular feline named Lily who roams the corridors and amuses the residents. In the mornings during tea time, she can usually be found inspecting people's cookies and tea cups, or lounging belly up in the middle of the living room while we speak about current events and the news. During gentle fitness, Lily is usually somewhere around my feet making us laugh as we make jokes that SHE will teach the class today. At lunch or dinner, she rarely sets foot in the dining room (a little lady with manners), but will sit in the doorway, keeping a loving eye on her resident family.
One afternoon, I was knocking on a particular resident's door inviting him to a sing-a-long; as he said "Come in!", I slowly opened the door and saw our large grey and white feline friend lounging on his bed as he read the paper. Home sweet home.
Animals like Lily have a special purpose. Its not only to provide companionship, but to serve a purpose and to remind us of ours. We feed her, water her, and recently made some cat toys out of Yarn and pom poms which Lily loves and each evening after supper, a few of the ladies and I give her some exercise, dragging the colourful spheres across the carpet. Lily helps with fine motor skills when we play(holding and dragging the yarn), and promotes verbalization of feelings and a feeling of inclusion in a group. Two of the ladies who dont always "get along" do that little bit more when Lily is around and we are all playing and sharing stories.
If you have pets in your facility or home of someone you are caring for, try and incorporate and encourage the companionship and lessons an animal can bring. Lily continues to make those lessons a little bit more enjoyable everyday.
Most of us think of canines as being the predominant species when in comes to animal assisted therapy; I know I certainly did when I first began researching my now career. True, dogs are a great source of loyalty, joy, companionship and unconditional love, but as I have seen (especially at my new job!) cats also take the cake.
In Memory Care, there is a particular feline named Lily who roams the corridors and amuses the residents. In the mornings during tea time, she can usually be found inspecting people's cookies and tea cups, or lounging belly up in the middle of the living room while we speak about current events and the news. During gentle fitness, Lily is usually somewhere around my feet making us laugh as we make jokes that SHE will teach the class today. At lunch or dinner, she rarely sets foot in the dining room (a little lady with manners), but will sit in the doorway, keeping a loving eye on her resident family.
One afternoon, I was knocking on a particular resident's door inviting him to a sing-a-long; as he said "Come in!", I slowly opened the door and saw our large grey and white feline friend lounging on his bed as he read the paper. Home sweet home.
Animals like Lily have a special purpose. Its not only to provide companionship, but to serve a purpose and to remind us of ours. We feed her, water her, and recently made some cat toys out of Yarn and pom poms which Lily loves and each evening after supper, a few of the ladies and I give her some exercise, dragging the colourful spheres across the carpet. Lily helps with fine motor skills when we play(holding and dragging the yarn), and promotes verbalization of feelings and a feeling of inclusion in a group. Two of the ladies who dont always "get along" do that little bit more when Lily is around and we are all playing and sharing stories.
If you have pets in your facility or home of someone you are caring for, try and incorporate and encourage the companionship and lessons an animal can bring. Lily continues to make those lessons a little bit more enjoyable everyday.
Sunday, 14 August 2011
AAT and Memory Care.
I am pleased to announce I have just accepted a position working at one of the most beautiful retirement communities and long term care I have ever had the pleasure of setting foot in. This position focuses on Life Enrichment though Memory Care, something I have always been interested in and so excited to have this opportunity to explore and grow in this field.
Memory care focuses greatly on maintaining the already existing skills in individuals who have early stage Alzheimers disease or Dementia. Activities of Daily Living are primary, as well as providing therapeutic activities for the residents. The setting is very homelike, with a lower number of residents and meals are served family style. Activities are set each day, however are always subject to change depending on how the residents feel that particular day.
In the home I am starting in, I look forward to working with the men and women in Memory care; we also have a resident cat who I also hope to incorporate into weekly programs who is adorable. I am also looking forward to implementing animal assisted therapy in memory care to add an element of encouragement during assistance of dressing, walking the halls or gardening for instance, and of course knowing my two canine caregivers, theyll be hoping for treats during meal or snack times (as Cujo is enjoying his here!).
If you or a loved one feel you could benefit from Animal Assisted Therapy in a memory care capacity in your own home or Long Term Care, please feel free to contact me and I'd be happy to help! Any questions are also always welcome.
Memory care focuses greatly on maintaining the already existing skills in individuals who have early stage Alzheimers disease or Dementia. Activities of Daily Living are primary, as well as providing therapeutic activities for the residents. The setting is very homelike, with a lower number of residents and meals are served family style. Activities are set each day, however are always subject to change depending on how the residents feel that particular day.
In the home I am starting in, I look forward to working with the men and women in Memory care; we also have a resident cat who I also hope to incorporate into weekly programs who is adorable. I am also looking forward to implementing animal assisted therapy in memory care to add an element of encouragement during assistance of dressing, walking the halls or gardening for instance, and of course knowing my two canine caregivers, theyll be hoping for treats during meal or snack times (as Cujo is enjoying his here!).
Your Pets in Heaven.
After searching online for some pet loss poems for a group I moderate, I came across this one and find it lovely. If anyone is interested in joining the group, you can find it on Facebook under "Pet Loss Support Canada" and I would be happy to add you!
Your Pets In Heaven
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Rosie: The first judicially approved coutroom therapy dog.
Thank you to Nicola, a lovely human being with a lovely heart for sharing this with me and giving me the opportunity to share this with all of you! Yet another way that AAT can make an impact on communities and individuals.
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1036843--dog-helps-teenage-rape-victim-testify-igniting-legal-debate?bn=1
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1036843--dog-helps-teenage-rape-victim-testify-igniting-legal-debate?bn=1
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