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Healing touch: Pet therapy strong medicine in hospitals
‘Having them here is very soothing,’ patient says
Robert C. Reed | Hickory Daily Record
Pet handler Ken Diem watches as Morgan, a Great Dane, interacts with Marty Maltby during Maltby’s physical therapy at Catawba Valley Medical Center.
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Published: September 20, 2009
HICKORY - Having spent more than five weeks in the hospital, Marty Maltby brightened noticeably when approached by two good friends.
The 64-year-old general contractor, recovering from a stroke at Catawba Valley Medical Center, greeted his visitors with pats on the head and crunchy treats.
Pats and treats alike were eagerly accepted by Case E., a small black poodle, and Morgan, a 160-pound great Dane.
What the dogs gave Maltby in return was less tangible but every bit as welcome.
"With a dog, you've got a friend that's true when you feel like the world is closing in on you," said Maltby, a Lake Norman resident.
"Having them here is very soothing."
Case E. and Morgan are among seven dogs participating in Catawba Valley Medical Center's 10-year-old pet therapy program. Other participants include an English sheepdog, a whippet, a German shepherd, a boxer mix and a Labrador retriever mix.
Frye Regional Medical Center also offers a dog therapy program, which currently includes two golden retrievers, a lab and a mixed-breed shelter dog.
Dogs and their handlers visit patients, offering an opportunity for social and verbal interaction, stress reduction and sensory stimulation.
Officials at the two hospitals said the visits can also assist in encouraging patients to move and to participate in physical therapy.
Because a therapy dog's main job is to allow strangers to make physical contact with it and to enjoy that contact, the right temperament is crucial, said Judith Bost, administrative director of guest relations and volunteer services at Frye.
Dogs of almost any breed or size can make good pet therapists as long as they are friendly, calm and gentle, Bost said.
They also must be trained to obey basic commands; be healthy, clean and up-to-date on all vaccinations; and be certified through one of several nationally recognized programs. Catawba Valley Medical Center generally uses the Therapy Dogs International program, while Frye favors the Delta Society.
In addition to visiting patients, dogs are taken to waiting rooms, where anxious relatives and friends usually welcome the diversion, hospital officials said.
Another benefit of having a dog at the hospital is stress relief for staff.
"Staff members often seek out the dogs when they get a break," said Heather Bissell, a licensed recreational therapist and certified therapeutic recreation specialist in Catawba Valley Medical Center's recreation therapy program.
"They can be a real stress-reducer for everyone."
Pets and their handlers — usually the owners — benefit, too.
Ken and Eileen Diem of Morganton have been pet therapy volunteers at Catawba Valley Medical Center for more than three years.
They also volunteer at Grace and Valdese hospitals and at Grace Heights Health and Rehabilitation Center.
Morgan, their 4-year-old great Dane, is certified by Therapy Dogs International.
Morgan works four days each week.
"She looks forward to it," Ken Diem said.
"After about two hours she starts getting tired and I know it's time to go. But for those two hours she really enjoys herself.
"She loves to give sugar, too, but that's against hospital rules."
A retired New York politician, Diem enjoys the activity himself.
"It keeps me out of trouble," he said. "It gives us a lot of personal satisfaction, and it helps us live our faith lives.
"We love to give and she loves to give."
Morgan gives to young and old alike.
The Diems recalled how Morgan once uncharacteristically rested her head on an elderly hospital patient's shoulder.
"She never does that," Eileen Diem said.
Three hours later, the woman died.
"Somehow Morgan knew, and knew that woman needed comforting," Eileen Diem said.
The couple described how a terminally ill, deaf, blind and brain-damaged baby perked up when her hand was placed on Morgan's fur.
"She rubbed and rubbed," Eileen Diem said.
"After that, she kind of woke up anytime we went to see her."
The night the youngster died, her mother got down on the floor at the hospital and cried while holding Morgan.
Bost has witnessed similar scenes at Frye, and said the prospect of offering comfort to people was the main reason she decided to enroll her 3-year-old white toy poodle, Lola, in the hospital's pet therapy program.
A gentle dog that welcomes attention from everyone, Lola is nearing completion of Delta Society certification.
"She's such a loving, wonderful dog that I knew she would be perfect for this program," Bost said.
"I think she can make a difference."
Maltby, who hopes to go home this week, said visits from Case E., Morgan and other dogs in Catawba Valley Medical Center's program have made a big difference in his hospital stay.
Like many patients, Maltby has a dog at home, a 3-year-old black pug named Ebony.
"I miss her," Maltby said. "She's the first dog we ever had who slept with us."
Maltby held out another treat for Case E. as their photo was taken.
"We can't let Ebony see this picture," he said.
"She'll be jealous."
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