I'm posting it anyway. It's about caring and I think we all need some of
that today.
To Don aka Flash, get back on this list. We need you more than you need
us!!!
December 20, 1998
Animal magnetism
Pets add touch of home for sick or bedridden people
By Jerry Johnston -- Deseret News staff writer
Long before animals were thought of as "medically therapeutic," they
were a part of folk medicine. Families knew the affection and
companionship of grandpa's old dog helped the old man keep going. And
they knew that getting little Sally a cat would take some of the sting
out of her being bedridden.
The very purpose of caged birds over the years has been to brighten
spirits and lighten loads.
But no one kept charts and records of such things — until groups like
the Utah Animal-Assisted Therapy Association got involved. Today, the
association trains pets and owners on proper behavior and monitors
"animal visits" to patients for therapeutic benefit.
The group's "volunteers and animal partners" are trained to help
children who have been abused or who are emotionally troubled, trained
to help people with autism or physical disabilities and trained to raise
the spirits of seniors in care centers.
We followed a couple of professionals through their rounds at the Sandy
Regional Health Center recently. Lana Davis, program director for the
organization, was the guide.
"It's important that therapists conduct the sessions with animals," she
says. "Let's say Mrs. Jones is depressed. Interacting with a dog may
draw her out into other activities. Or let's say Mrs. Jones needs to
start speaking. We can use animals as a focal point. If she says the
dog's name and talks to it, she may begin to communicate verbally again.
Those we help usually forget they're doing a therapy session. They're so
busy enjoying the cats, dogs, rabbits and birds that it's more like
recreation."
Needless to say, in clinical settings like health centers and
hospitals, the volunteers and animals need to run a tight ship. Pets are
chosen carefully. They must be able to handle all kinds of noise. They
must be even-tempered and never grow defensive or combative when placed
in unfamiliar surroundings. Handlers and therapists are looking for
total predictability.
Most of the animals are simple house pets or "rescue animals" from
pounds, but every one is screened, cleaned and preened like a
prize-winning poodle.
"The pets must be bathed within 24 hours of each visit," says Betty
Brown, the association's executive director. "Their ears must be
cleaned, their teeth brushed with peanut butter flavored toothpaste. And
the animals are allowed to 'work' for only one hour. It's quite a
process getting them ready."
The day of the visit, the animals are coated with a special
solution and anti-bacterial gel to make them "hospital safe."
Then patients are allowed to play with and pet the animals at will. The
pets are even allowed on the beds and into laps. The animals are never
put in costume, as outfits tend to make the pets less animated and tend
to turn the visit into a novelty act rather than a chance for
true connection.
"We see our animals as healers," says Davis. "Their work is serious.
The people we visit usually have had pets in their lives and have lost
them. Older people especially tend to live in the past, so bringing
animals triggers many memories. And they love to get as much
fur in their hands as they can."
In short, patients often learn to reach out and embrace their own lives
and their situation by reaching out and embracing an animal.
And one of "teacher's pets" is is a Labrador that belongs to Marylee
Bertram, an employee for Delta Air Lines. Bertram says being an "animal
volunteer" has done as much for her as the people she visits. "I have
two wonderful dogs," Bertram says. "We went through the training,
learned the skills andaptitudes needed. It's been wonderful, very
rewarding."
Volunteers interested in getting involved should know the association
will offer a special training seminar on Feb. 6, 1999, at
the West Jordan City Hall. For information about requirements and times
call 963-7696. It's important to pre-register.
The idea behind the day will be to make 1999 even more successful than
1998. And this past year represented a giant leap for both handlers and
animals. "It's been a phenomenal year for us," says Dave Davis, chairman
of the board. "The response we've gotten from professional facilities
has been wonderful. And we've gotten more financial support than we
could have hoped for. We've gotten grants from several foundations. And
our volunteers have been wonderful."
As for a closing summation, perhaps Denise Anhder, the recreational
director at Sandy Regional, sums up the thinking behind the enterprise
best. "It's very hard for people to give up life at home because they
can't take care of themselves," she says. "So the goal is to make
wherever they are as homelike as possible." And pets add a touch of home
to any situation. Grandpa and his old hound dog knew that. Now, thanks
to some dedicated professionals, others are tipping to the fact as well.
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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