During his stay at St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Ryan Davin was in a lot of pain.
That's to be expected when one snaps an arm skiing --; the kind of break that leads to five surgeries in seven days.
While Davin was coalescing one day, something finally cheered him up. Volunteer Bonnie Kramer and her yellow Lab, Ely.
"Sitting in the hospital you see people all day," Davin said. "It was a breather from all that to see the dog. A needed change-up."
Davin is just one of countless hospital patients, family members and staff to be touched by therapy dogs, an alternative therapy program that has gained popularity at area hospitals.
"Our dogs have been welcomed to the most precious of moments," said Marie Powell, director of volunteer services at the St. Anthony North Health Campus in Westminster. "Every moment from births to dying patients."
Dogs of all breeds are accepted in these programs --; it all depends on the temperament of both the dog and the owner.
Ex-ICU nurse Karen Neiswanger pioneered the dog therapy program at the original St. Anthony Hospital in Denver, and said the medical community has been realizing the healing power of dog visits.
"We hear so often from everyone --; not just patients but visitors and staff --; that we've made their day," Neiswanger said. "They bring people joy and laughter, and take them out of where they are."
It takes a special person and animal to do this kind of work, since it's unpaid and can be very draining for both members of the team.
"Handlers need to have a heart full of compassion," said Vicki Harding, director volunteer services at St. Anthony Hospital. "Dog owners seem to know when they have a special animal. They can sense they have the right spirit."
Dogs and trainers have to go through training and observation before they're allowed to be near patients. Since hospitals have so much machinery and high energy, dogs must be trained to focus and not get riled up by all the distractions.
Veterinarians check up on the animals regularly, and at St. Anthony the dogs are certified and insured by Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
"We have four hours of training over a month for our volunteers," said Tim Stewart, a volunteer and trainer with his dog Rudi at St. Anthony North Health Campus. "The teams start by visiting places like nursing homes that don't have as much going on as hospitals."
Once the teams are ready to go, they respond to visit requests from patients and stop by floors to cheer up who they can.
At Wheat Ridge's Lutheran Medical Center, the therapy dog program has been going for more than 20 years and has 58 teams who volunteer. Marge Melle has been volunteering for eight years. Yellow Lab Charlee is her third dog in the program.
"Our biggest customers are actually the staff," Melle said. "They go through so much, and it really helps when we visit."
Just like with any employee, the dog's physical and emotional health is of vital importance, and teams are given breaks when the dogs or owners need them.
"The dogs absorb what they do, just like us," Powell said. "They bring home the hospital, whether it's pre-surgery anxiety or post-diagnosis depression."
Both Stewart and Melle said they get so much out of the program, and can share powerful stories for hours.
"I've seen Rudi make such a big difference to people," Stewart said. "We get so many requests for dogs, but other times we just look for open doors and a smile."During his stay at St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Ryan Davin was in a lot of pain.
That's to be expected when one snaps their arm skiing - the kind of break that leads to five surgeries in seven days.
While Davin was coalescing one day, something finally cheered him up. Volunteer Bonnie Kramer and her yellow lab, Ely.
"Sitting in the hospital you see people all day," Davin said. "It was a breather from all that to see the dog. A needed change-up."
Davin is just one of countless hospital patients, family members and staff to be touched by therapy dogs, an alternative therapy program that has gained popularity at area hospitals.
"Our dogs have been welcomed to the most precious of moments," said Marie Powell, director of volunteer services at the St. Anthony North Health Campus in Westminster. "Every moment from births to dying patients."
Dogs of all breeds are accepted in these programs - it all depends on the temperament of both the dog and their owner.
Ex-ICU nurse, Karen Neiswanger pioneered the dog therapy program at the original St. Anthony Hospital in Denver, and said the medical community has been realizing the healing power of dog visits.
"We hear so often from everyone - not just patients but visitors and staff - that we've made their day," Neiswanger said. "They bring people joy and laughter, and take them out of where they are."
It takes a special person and animal to do this kind of work, since it's unpaid and can be very draining for both members of the team.
"Handlers need to have a heart full of compassion," said Vicki Harding, director volunteer services at St. Anthony Hospital. "Dog owners seem to know when they have a special animal. They can sense they have the right spirit."
Dogs and trainers have to go through training and observation before they're allowed to be near patients. Since hospitals have so much machinery and high energy, dogs must be trained to focus and not get riled up by all the distractions.
Vets check-up on the animals regularly, and at St. Anthony the dogs are certified and insured by Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
"We have four hours of training over a month for our volunteers," said Tim Stewart, a volunteer and trainer with his dog Rudi at St. Anthony North Health Campus. "The teams start by visiting places like nursing homes that don't have as much going on as hospitals."
Once the teams are ready to go, they respond to visit requests from patients and stop by floors to cheer up who they can.
At Wheat Ridge's Lutheran Medical Center, their therapy dog program has been going for more than 20 years and has 58 teams who volunteer. Marge Melle has been volunteering for eight years, and yellow lab Charlee is her third dog in the program.
"Our biggest customers are actually the staff," Melle said. "They go through so much, and it really helps when we visit."
Just like with any employee the dog's physical and emotional health is of vital importance, and teams are given breaks when the dogs or owners need them.
"The dogs absorb what they do, just like us," Powell said. "They bring home to the hospital whether it's pre-surgery anxiety or post-diagnosis depression."
Both Stewart and Melle said they get so much out of the program, and can share powerful stories for hours.
"I've seen Rudi make such a big difference to people," Stewart said. "We get so many requests for dogs, but other times we just look for open doors and a smile."
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Canine-care-and-compassion,211713?branding=15
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