Eileen Nagle sees her family in video chats and drive-by visits, but that hasn’t made up for the lack of warm hugs in the nine months since the pandemic prompted her nursing home to close its doors to visitors.
Enter Zeus.
“Zeus is a friendly little snowball, very happy,” said Nagle, 79, after the peppy bichon frize visited her Hebrew Home room in Riverdale, overlooking the Hudson River in the Bronx. “By petting and playing with the dogs, the day ends and you forget yourself for a moment.”
Hebrew Home has had a pet therapy program for 20 years; little Zeus and the gentle giant Marley the Great Dane are today’s cuddlers in residence. Now the activity division is expanding the canine corps with two new recruits in training to give residents more of the affectionate physical contact that has become so scarce and precious in the coronavirus era.
“It’s gratifying that Zeus is coming to visit me, especially with COVID and being confined to my room,” said 80-year-old Jeff Philipson, beaming as he ran his fingers through Zeus’s silky white fur as the dog scrambled up his bed. . “I talk to my daughter and my son on the phone every day, but that’s the best it can be for now.”
When the pandemic ended in March, dog therapy was suspended along with most other nursing home activities.
“I decided we needed to revitalize the animal viewing program as no outside visits are allowed,” said Daniel Reingold, founder of the pet therapy program and president and CEO of RiverSpring Health, nonprofit operator of the 103-year-old Hebrew Home. “They have sat on the floors to bring happiness and unconditional love to residents and staff alike.”
The dogs belong to employees who bring them to work every day. But the program does not allow just any dog.
“It has to be a combination of the right owner, the right dog and the right temperament,” said Reingold, whose own rescue dog, Kida, is one of the new recruits. “The dogs need to be assessed, follow basic commands, and be able to handle wheelchairs, elevators, medicine carts, and anything else they find on a floor.”
Cats are also used in the pet therapy program, but only robotics. Hebrew Home has numerous lifelike animatronic cats that purr and meow while residents hold them on their laps and stroke their fur. “The cats are especially soothing to people with dementia,” said Catherine Farrell, director of therapeutic activities, primary dog handler and owner of Marley.
“An animal’s love is incredible,” said Farrell. “It releases endorphins, lowers blood pressure, reduces anxiety. For people here who had animals in their life history, seeing dogs brings back memories and opens communication. “
While Farrell must stay six feet away from the residents and wear a face mask and plastic shield, Marley can lay his head on their bed while they pet him.
“Breaking the social barrier to distance is really important,” said Farrell. “It’s one of the few ways they can touch another living being and take satisfaction from that physical connection.”
But it’s not all about petting a dog, said Olivia Cohen, dog handler and assistant director of the therapeutic activity program. For some residents, the interaction can break down barriers and provide open communication and emotional expression, she said.
Cohen recalls a woman who struggled with anxiety and had difficulty coping with the new environment when she moved home. “Nothing got through to her to help her,” Cohen said. “But when I brought the dog to her, her entire affect went from crying to a glowing face and telling stories of her own experiences.”
For resident Elizabeth Pagan, dog visits are a welcome change from the isolation she’s endured since she’s been limited to FaceTime visits with her kids, grandchildren, and the terrier-dachshund mix Ruby.
“It means a lot to me, it makes me feel good when I pet the dogs,” said Pagan, who is recovering from a stroke. ‘My favorite is Marley. He gives me a lot of comfort. “
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“One Good Thing” is a series that highlights individuals whose actions in troubled times offer glimpses of joy – stories of people finding a way to make a difference, no matter how small. Read the story collection at https://apnews.com/hub/one-good-thing