BY CARLA ALLEN
The Vanguard
An elderly man gets down on his hands and knees to greet a canine visitor face to face and receive long-tongued �kisses.�
An Alzheimer patient remembers the name of his favourite dog during a therapy session.
Don Smith, coordinator for the tri-counties� St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program, has witnessed remarkable things since visits began close to three years ago.
Thirteen teams with 15 dogs (two people have two dogs) visit facilities in the region, including Tidal View Manor, Nakile Home for Special Care, Villa St. Joseph-Du-Lac, Sunset Terrace and Surf Lodge (in Lockeport.)
Smith says he�d like to see more people volunteer with their dogs and more facilities participate in the program.
�The more teams the better because we cover the tri-counties,� he said.
Research has proven that therapy dog visits reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, calm the distressed, comfort the despondent and distract the pain-ridden in many cases.
In 2005 the tri-county branch logged 420.5 visiting hours.
Yarmouth Regional Hospital |
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Tidal View Manor resident Ethren Murphy greets therapy dog Flopsy with joy. Owner Bernice Somers has been participating in the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program for three years.
CARLA ALLEN PHOTO |
recreational therapist Amy Walls says she�d like to see the dog therapy program branch out to other areas of the hospital.
She�s witnessed the benefits of visits, including plenty of excitement and changes in behaviour among some residents when the dogs arrive.
�Their motivation is heightened when they know a dog is coming. The dog is non-judgmental. They accept all conditions. It�s very comforting for their self-esteem,� she says.
Walls breeds Labrador retrievers and has brought puppies to the seniors� residence, much to their delight.
�People that never come out of their room are all of a sudden chasing you down the hallway,� she says.
A variety of breeds are involved in the therapy dog program, including golden retrievers, small poodles and Lhasa apsos. |
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�They�re nice for the elderly ladies that don�t like big dogs. They�re almost like a cat to them,� says Smith.
Visits are conducted weekly and bi-weekly.
To qualify for the program, therapy dogs and their handlers receive three to four hours of training and testing to see how their dogs react to different situations.
The final test is for the dog to be taken into a room where there is a wheelchair-bound volunteer and someone throws a bag full of cans onto the floor.
�I think that�s the scariest one because they don�t see it coming, but amazingly, most of them don�t flinch,� says Smith.
It costs $10 to join the program and a police background check is necessary.
The experience of seeing residents and patients reacting to the dogs is rich payment, says Smith.
�To see them interacting with the dogs is great. They start telling you stories, �oh, when I had my dog��they get talking and they interact,� he said.
Those interested in having therapy dogs visit their facility or dog owners wanting more information on the tri-county St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program can call 742-7321 or 740-1661. |
