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Hospice Therapy of a different kind
Most individuals who attend therapy sessions seek care
from a certified human professional. But for some Mercy At Home patients, a
certified therapist may be of the four-legged kind.
Thanks to the volunteer efforts of one retired couple,
patients have the opportunity to undergo "dog therapy." Two to
three times each month, Ken Gruber and his wife, Lee, along with their dog,
Gretta, make the trip from Spencer, Oklahoma, to Oklahoma City to visit
Mercy At Home patients.
"Most people who are in the hospital have to leave
their pets behind at home," says Lee. "Gretta provides these
patients with companionship. She can't talk back, but she can listen and the
patients love to pet her."
For many years, the Grubers have had a penchant for dog
therapy. When they adopted Gretta, a Doberman/Labrador mix, eight years ago
from a Stillwater shelter, they soon after decided to enroll her in dog
therapy classes at Oklahoma City Obedience Training Club.
Just as human therapists are trained and certified in
the care they give, dog therapists are trained and certified as well. Before
Gretta could even begin classes, she first had to pass a test to ensure she
was calm enough to become a certified therapist.
In a seven-week course that trains both the animals and
the owners, the three learned all about how dogs need to behave around
patients. After graduation, Gretta and the Grubers received their
certification and became members of Therapy Dogs International.
For the Grubers, who became Mercy At Home volunteers
more than six months ago, it's a treat to see Gretta provide comfort to
Mercy patients. "I think the patients like it when we bring Gretta to
visit them because she is such a big dog and she doesn't have any trouble
reaching the patients' beds," says Lee.
Volunteers like Gretta and the Grubers make all the
difference. "It's amazing to watch a patient's eyes light up when the
Grubers walk into a room with Gretta," says Amy Annesley, a social
worker for Mercy Hospice. "You can tell that Gretta warms our patients'
hearts."
For information on becoming a Mercy At Home volunteer,
call 405-486-8600.
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