Marin pet therapy program helps seniors
Linda Rhodes is a self-described cat person. Still, the San Rafael resident said she tries to arrange her schedule to be free for a rather unique therapy.
“It’s fantastic,” Rhodes said. “I think just being around them is my favorite thing, because I’ve been around animals all my life.”
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, residents at San Rafael Healthcare and Wellness Center wait in anticipation for their therapists — the ones with fur and tails.
Molly, a calm border collie, and Riley, a playful golden retriever/border collie mix, are part of a pet-assisted therapy program called Golden Paws Pet Therapy. The program is offered through Buddha and Me, a Sausalito nonprofit organization that provides pet therapy to hospice, dementia and crisis patients.
“This is really about empathy, and dogs bring joy,” said Mark Lammers of Sausalito, founder of the nonprofit and a director at the center. “The greatest master of empathy is the dog.”
Susan Spalione, a resident at the center and co-president of the residents council, said everyone looks forward to pet therapy days. She is a huge fan.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Spalione said. “Contact with a dog is a great thing. Everybody wants to pet the puppies.”
Lammers said the nonprofit was an early retirement idea. He has a history working in hospice health care, and founded the organization in 2016 as a way to boost mental health.
He brings his crew to the skilled nursing facility each week and also visits a handful of other care centers. The dogs have routine sessions with participants that can include a variety of activities, from petting and company, to playing fetch or doing relaxation exercises.
For Preston Moses, a resident at the center, having the dogs around has had a positive impact on his mental health. Simply being around them and knowing they are there, he said, is something he looks forward to.
“This has been absolutely a godsend for me, to meet these dogs,” Moses said. “I thoroughly enjoy it.”
The goal is to improve mental health, reduce stress and enhance the overall quality of life for residents. Pet-assisted therapy can reduce loneliness, improve motor skills, lower blood pressure, release endorphins and help with memory-related disorders, according to UCLA Health.
Psychologist Janet Hazen, who is contracted by the center, said the pet-therapy program has been beneficial to residents for these reasons. She said she’s seen a positive impact on residents since the program began.
“I have seen some improvement and I’ve seen people looking for Molly and happy when they see her, and expecting her to be here,” Hazen said. “Connection helps reduce depression, human connection, pet connection or connection to the outside world.”
Sonani Sharma, the director of social services at the center, said that since the program was implemented over a half a year ago, depression among residents has been on a downward trend. She credits much of it to the pet-therapy program.
“More residents are out of their room,” Sharma said. “Even the ones who can’t come out of their room, he’s visiting them with the dogs and they are looking forward to it.”
Sharma said some residents who get discharged don’t want to leave because of the dogs. Many think of Molly and Riley as their own pets.
“They are our buddies,” Spalione said. “It is so nice to have the doggies come in.”
Recently, Lammers set out a new goal: combining senior care and doggy day care in a mutually beneficial program in Sausalito called “golden paws, silver whiskers.” Seniors can bring their own dogs, or have a dog provided to them, and hang out once a week from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It also includes a grooming service.
The dogs are picked by Lammers for those who respond to his posts or inquire about providing their dogs as therapy pets. If the dog seems like a good fit — are friendly, obedient and have a calm demeanor, for example — he sends them to therapy training.
The model works for those who have a harder time volunteering, like Riley’s owner, Kathleen Maher. She drops Riley off and Lammers handles her.
Maher said that while she struggles with the emotional toll such volunteering can take, she knew Riley, a rescue from the “streets of Guatemala,” would be a good fit.
“She’s soft, she has a soft mouth and head, and is good with all people,” Maher said. “I personally can’t handle the environments, so I resisted bringing them or getting involved with the work that they could do. I met with him and told him I can’t handle the environment, I get too sad, and he said, ‘I’ll take care of that for you.’”
For those in hospice care, specifically, pet-assisted therapy is a way to connect with another living being that does not take energy. Molly, Lammers said, will lay her head gently on the edge of the bed — just at the spot a hand could reach over and stroke her.
“Everything takes energy from them,” Lammers said. “But with a dog, it’s easy for them to not talk and just feel the love.”
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