Long-term care residents enjoy cuddles from a happy dog
It takes a very special dog to have the personality to come into a long-term care home and instantly connect with residents there and luckily for the residents of Tudor House Personal Care Home local dog Bella is the perfect fit.
Bella’s owner Dave Friesen said that Bella is this talented at just four years old.
“We got her when she was two and a half. She is a golden doodle. Her mother was a standard black poodle, all black and her dad was a golden retriever, more on the reddish side, like some of her highlights,” he said.
Bella got the gig volunteering at Tudor House when a family member of one of the residents, knowing that her own dog was a big hit at the home, connected Friesen and the staff at Tudor House as they believed that Bella’s personality would be a great fit for a setting like this.
“I came down and had a visit with [Melanie Thomas, social worker at Tudor House] and Denise [Smith, Tudor House’s Recreation Facilitator] and the rest is kind of history. We come here every Thursday for about an hour,” said Friesen.
Smith feels that there is definite value for residents to be able to see a dog for a visit at the home.
“Residents get excited when Thursday comes; knowing that Bella and Dave will be arriving after breakfast. They hurry back to their rooms in anticipation of Bella arriving at their door. When they see her, their faces light up with huge smiles. Some Residents are prepared with treats. Bella brings back memories of dogs they once had,” explained Smith.
Friesen said that everyone loved Bella from the first visit.
“The folks have amazing stories. So many people over the years have had a pet of some kind, whether it was a cat or a dog or whatever. Bella brings back so many great memories for a lot of these folks. They’ll tell me stories about the dogs that they had, some really cool stories. And, we just have a really good time. They love petting her and being around her,” said Friesen.
He explained that Bella’s calm personality and want of attention are also an asset when it comes to coming into a setting like this.
“We head down the hallways, some of the interactions are in the residence’s room, and other times, they two common areas that we’ll visit, and we’ll just kind of make the rounds,” said Friesen.
The benefits aren’t just for the residents though as Friesen mentioned that Bella gets excited when she knows it’s time for a visit and she enjoys interacting with the residents.
“She’ll just put her paw or her face down on the edge of the bed. It’s just really cool because she can, it’s nonverbal, but it’s almost like there’s a connection with certain residents. You just wonder ‘What is it in her mind?’ That connection between her and them, it’s pretty cool,” said Friesen.
The pair have no plans to stop visiting Tudor House and continuing to spread the joy.
