Therapy dogs help put Yolo Hospice Patients at ease
by Mary Odbert
Poppy is a two and a half year old, snow white, soul-eyed, Maltese. He weighs, maybe, seven pounds and is the sweetest puppy you will ever see. When he comes into the Yolo Hospice office with his parent, Stephanie Makis, MSW, he greets everyone. What makes him unique is Poppy’s care and friendship with Yolo Hospice patients. Through Poppy and 6 other dogs, Yolo Hospice provides pet assisted therapy.
“It is soothing to have a little creature cuddle up to you,” said Shelia, a Yolo Hospice patient. “Poppy is a well behaved boy. It is calming to have him sit in my lap and pet him. It just feels good.”
Animals love unconditionally. They have few expectations and are not critical of your performance as a host. Poppy can often bridge gaps and help build bonds between patients and Yolo Hospice team members. They also reduce stress and can affect many patients by allowing them to relax when it has been otherwise impossible. Most importantly they are affectionate, not only providing comfort, but touch which can be in short supply for those at the end of life.
It is heartwarming to watch Shelia tease Stephanie about how she wants to keep Poppy with her all the time, and hear her laugh ring out. She’s even given Stephanie some tricks to teach Poppy. Stephanie refers to it as her homework assignments.
“I don’t think Shelia was sure about hospice, until she heard about Poppy,” said Stephanie. “Now she embraces just about all the Yolo Hospice team services available to her. It has been wonderful for both Poppy and me to get to know her. Poppy is on her lap most of the time during our visits.”
Yolo Hospice has seven pet therapy animals in its program. Poppy lives with Stephanie one of Yolo Hospice’s social workers. Social workers facilitate health services and make heart to heart connections with patients. The other six dogs, Maggie, Abby, Rosie, Jake, Lola and Bosco the Wonder Dog, live with Yolo Hospice volunteers. Yolo Hospice volunteers who have their animals in the pet therapy program are devoted to it and particularly committed to Yolo Hospice. Their commitment includes completing the Yolo Hospice’s training for patient care volunteers. In addition, they take their dogs through training and certification as pet therapy animals and update that certification annually.
Yolo Hospice is particularly lucky to have the benefit of the skills and knowledge of Linda Wendorff to the pet therapy program. Linda is a tester for dogs, certifying their readiness as pet therapy animals. She is also the Yolo Hospice Pet Therapy Program Advisor.
“Linda has been invaluable in helping train, certify and guide us in setting up and getting the pet therapy program active,” said Nancy Bodily, Volunteer Services Manager and Coordinator of the Yolo Hospice Pet Therapy Program. “She even volunteers her time to take her own pet therapy dogs out to visit patients.”
Pet therapy animals are gentle and mellow, not easily startled. Still, pet therapy animals are not for everyone. As the Yolo Hospice team gets to know the patient, and believe a patient would benefit from the pet therapy program, the option is discussed with the patient and loved ones. The patient or family member can also ask to be included in the program.
“We’re pleased when any of our patients can benefit from the presence of these loving animals in their lives,” said Nancy. “It is particularly rewarding to be there when one of these animals goes into a senior living or nursing facility to visit one of our patients. Twenty additional people benefit from that one visit. As soon as the dog walks through the door, you can see that it brightens the day for people who enjoy animals.”
For information on getting your animal certified as a pet therapy animal in Yolo Hospice’s program, please contact Nancy Bodily at (530) 601-5754. To get more information about any Yolo Hospice service, please call (530) 758-5566 or go online to www.YoloHospice.org.
— Mary Odbert is Yolo Hospice’s public relations representative. Her column is published monthly.
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