Vim & Vigor - Fall 2012 - Gwinnett Medical Center - (Page 6)

ies Fuzz WArm Therapy dogs are a welcome part of the healing process A How Dogs Become Therapy Pets Therapy Dogs International (tdi-dog.org) is a volunteer organization dedicated to regulating, testing and registering therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers for the purpose of visiting nursing homes, hospitals and other institutions. To belong to Therapy Dogs International, a dog must pass temperament evaluations, including the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Test, and have a health record form signed annually by a veterinarian. Locally, Happy Tails Pets (happytailspets.org) helps match therapy dogs with institutions that would like visits. As with Therapy Dogs International, these dogs must have passed a basic obedience course with their handlers and have the temperament for this type of program. All therapy pets must have an annual health record form signed by a veterinarian and basic vaccinations. visit from a therapy dog brings a smile to a patient’s face and a moment of respite for the visiting family. Smiles abound when the dogs come in. These are not service dogs with restrictions on being petted while working. Instead, they are exceedingly well-behaved family pets that have passed required obedience and temperament tests to work as therapy dogs. Here are a few stories from their visits. Glancy Rehabilitation centeR Like actors on alert for their cue, Apollo, Bella and Girr stand at the ready during their introduction to three patients in wheelchairs. Happy Tails Pets brings therapy dogs to Glancy Rehabilitation Center two days each month, giving neurologic and orthopedic therapy a canine face. On this day, as soon as introductions end, the dogs each move to a different part of the center’s gym, accompanied by their owners. Girr, a medium-sized dog whose fierce name contrasts with her mellow demeanor, hops up onto the exercise platform to be at wheelchair level for petting and brushing. Apollo, a Samoyed, wags her tail as her owner puts the harness around her sturdy frame so she can pull the patient and her wheelchair down the hall at the patient’s command. Bella, a Vizsla, takes center stage with her props, ready to do tricks at the patient’s verbal command. One by one, the participating patients spend time with each dog. For these Glancy Rehabilitation Center patients, who are recovering from amputations, strokes, traumatic brain injuries and other neurologic and orthopedic conditions, these simple dog-focused activities are part of their recreational therapy. In addition to practicing speaking, holding or stroking, the patients—and staff—get an hour of furry compassion to brighten their days. > Therapy dog Bella 6 Vim & Vigor • FALL 2 012 http://www.tdi-dog.org http://www.happytailspets.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2012 - Gwinnett Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2012 - Gwinnett Medical Center
Contents
Phil’s Feature
Good Times for a Good Cause
Warm Fuzzies
30 Days to Better Sleep
I Can’t Ask My Doctor That!
He Said, She Said
Hold On to Your Health
Still A Screening Star
Your Joints: An Owner’s Manual
Weighing Your Options
No Greater Gift
Weather Alert
Virtual Health
PrimeTime Health
From the Heart
Putting Everything in Place
Out of the White Coat
Transforming Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2012 - Gwinnett Medical Center