

	Featured Story		Dog of the Day

Mackie’s Visit with Adults at Kaiser Los Angeles

Please Note: The dog in the accompanying photograph is the subject of the story, but the person pictured is probably not the patient in the story.

When I began my career as a Physical Therapist, working in an Acute Rehabilitation Unit, I saw how helpful Animal Assisted Therapy could be in motivating patients to participate in their Physical Therapy. The dogs were a vital part of the rehab team, present on the unit almost every day of the week and regularly incorporated into the treatment plan of many of the therapy teams. The therapy sessions were geared towards maximizing the patients’ functional independence, following a catastrophic illness or injury. It was hard work for everyone concerned --- patients, therapists, and the pet therapy volunteers. I am now a Hospital Administrator for Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles, and when I learned that Love on 4 Paws would be bringing animal assisted therapy teams to our hospital, I knew that my Cairn Terrier, Mackie, would be a great fit for the program. Equally comfortable with children or adults, she has been a terrific companion for my children, my parents, and most of all, for my partner and me.

Once we began to train with LO4P under our expert coaches, we followed the orientation schedule of first visiting Shriner's hospital, then the Blend School, then Childrens Hospital prior to being able to volunteer at Kaiser LA. At that time, as all of our experience had been with visiting children, I was a little apprehensive about branching out to visit adults. After our second visit in an adult unit, however, all of that hesitation melted away.

I was up visiting patients on 7W, the Adult Orthopedic Surgery unit. I knocked and entered an elderly man's room, and when I approached his bed, I realized he was crying. I apologized for disturbing him but asked him if he would like to have a visit with Mackie. He agreed, and over the course of the next 10-15 minutes, the visit really seemed to transform his mood and his day completely. He shared with me a very sad recent turn of events that led him to be in the hospital, but the whole time he spoke, he was petting Mackie. Gradually, he began to smile more, interact with her, engage in talking to her, and, of course feeding her treats. By the end of the visit he told me about his own dog waiting for him at home, and about how much he now realized he missed his dog, and that Mackie's visit had helped to remind him that he needed to focus on getting better so he could get home to his canine companion. It really was miraculous to watch the positive effect Mackie's visit had on this gentleman. Later that day, his nurse thanked us personally with tears in her eyes.

We also visited two patients who were in a lot of pain after recent surgery. Again, I hesitated at the door, thinking that they might not want to interact at that time. Both times however, I was surprised to see them eagerly looking past me and reaching out to hold Mackie. One of the women actually exclaimed, “Thank goodness you came by; I could really use a visit with a dog right now”. For the first time, I understood in a very profound way why we are a part of the pain management program at CHLA. These two patients, both accustomed to the companionship of a dog, were made visibly more at ease, relaxed, and yes, in less pain, as a result of their visit with Mackie.

Really, I can't thank all of the LO4P volunteer teams enough for making this program available for our patients. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be a part of Love on 4 Paws.