Eileen Nagle sees her family in video chats and driving visits, but that hasn’t made up for the lack of warm hugs in the nine months since the pandemic drove her nursing home to close its visitors’ doors.
Enter Zeus.
“Zeus is a friendly, very happy little snowball,” said Nagle, 79, after a lively bichon frieze visited her room at Hebrew Home in Riverdale, overlooking the river. Hudson of the Bronx. “Caressing and playing with dogs end the day and make you forget about yourself for a while.”
Hebrew Home has a 20-year pet therapy program; little Zeus and the gentle giant Marley, the Great Dane, are the current adults in the residence. Now, the activities department is expanding the canine corps with two new recruits in training to provide residents with more physical emotional contact that became so rare and valuable in the coronavirus era.
“It’s uplifting to make Zeus visit me, especially with COVID, and be confined to my room,” said 80-year-old Jeff Philipson, twisting his fingers through the silky white fur of to Zeus, while the dog climbed on his bed. “I talk on the phone every day with my daughter and my son, but that’s as good as it gets at the moment.”
When the pandemic blockade began in March, dog therapy was suspended, along with most other asylum activities.
“We have decided that we need to revitalize the pet visitation program, as no outside visits are allowed,” said Daniel Reingold, founder of the pet therapy program and president and CEO of RiverSpring Health, a nonprofit operator. of the 103-year-old Hebrew Home. “They were on the floor bringing happiness and unconditional love to both residents and staff.”
The dogs belong to the staff members who bring them to work every day. But the program does not allow just about 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. “Dogs need to be evaluated, follow basic commands and be able to cope with wheelchairs, elevators, medicine carts and everything else they will encounter on the floor.”
Cats are also used in the pet therapy program – but only robotic. Hebrew Home has many realistic animatronic cats, which nibble and meow while the inhabitants hold them in their lap and caress their fur. “Cats are especially soothing for people with dementia,” said Catherine Farrell, director of therapeutic activities, dog handler and owner of Marley.
“The love of an animal is incredible,” Farrell said. “It releases endorphins, lowers blood pressure, reduces anxiety. For people here who have had animals in their life history, seeing dogs triggers memories and opens up communication. “
While Farrell has to stay 6 feet away from residents and wear a face mask and a plastic shield, Marley can bend her head on their beds while stroking him.
“Crossing the social barrier at a distance is really important,” Farrell said. “It’s one of the only ways I can reach another living being and get satisfaction from the physical connection.”
But it’s not just about petting a dog, said Olivia Cohen, a dog caregiver and assistant director of the therapeutic program. For some residents, interaction can break down barriers and open up communication and emotional expression, she said.
Cohen remembers a woman struggling with anxiety and having trouble coping with the new environment when she moved into the house. “Nothing would help her,” Cohen said. “But when I brought her dog to her, her complete affection changed from crying to having a bright face and telling stories about her own experiences.”
For Elizabeth Pagan’s residence, dog visits are a welcome respite from the isolation she has endured since she was limited to FaceTime visits with children, grandchildren and the Ruby terrier-dachshund mix.
“It means a lot to me, it makes me feel good when you pet the dogs,” said Pagan, who is recovering from a stroke. “My favorite is Marley. It gives me a lot of comfort. “
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