Sunday, December 19, 2010

We Visited Your Mom Today!

Astrid and I are a therapy pet team. We visit three living facilities and Alzheimer's centers each month. If the thought of this makes you shudder a little, you must not have visited your mom...or your grandma or grandpa or your sister that has had a stroke lately. Depressing, dreary and waiting to die? No way.....did you know that these residents form the same kind of cliques that you remember from junior high? Well, maybe that isn't the most encouraging news you've heard lately, but our point is that the same human needs and desires don't diminish the day one enters a living center, whether it be assisted or intensive care. Here's an example......at the Alzheimer's center there is one very pleasant lady that is always delighted to see Astrid arrive for her scheduled visit. She is, EXCEPT for the days she is sitting with her best friend. On that day, like her friend, she doesn't like dogs either. This is perfectly okay with us because we understand that the friendship of this woman is daily, Astrid's visit is once a month. 


People in nursing, living and rehab centers aren't waiting to die. They wake up each day to live one more day of their life. Each day, each moment of one's life is important, whether it is enjoyed in the 22nd year of life or the 92nd year of life. If you wish there was something you could do to 'give back' in life, your opportunity may be as close as your dog. Your dog doesn't need to know a million tricks or even obey your every command. Every organization has pretty much the same standards but the requirements for registration vary greatly. Our organization...Therapy Dogs, Inc....requires a simple physical test and then three visits that are observed by a qualified tester/observer.  You might enjoy visiting someones mom, grandma or grandpa or sister who has had a stroke and recuperating.  Save some time to listen to their stories, too, you love 'em! And don't forget to add that 'awwww' factor to your dog...a super cute bandana from Astrid's Etsy shop or ArtFire studio!