25 November

Thanksgiving Photo Of The Week: The Therapy Dog, The Accident, And The Mansion Aide

by Jon Katz

This was my favorite photo of the holiday week.

A resident got sick, and the aides had an awful mess to clean up. They did so with good cheer and empathy, and sensitivity.

This is the hard part of working in assisted care or nursing homes. The resident was embarrassed and needed soothing and love, and she got what she needed.

Zinnia, Maria, and I came in during the aftermath of the accident; the place was clean as a whistle, and everything had been cleaned up and straightened up.

Zinnia has a sixth sense for anxiety or trouble, and the aides could not get enough of her. She had everybody smiling.

She knew where to go and what to do. This is what a wonderful therapy dog can do without being told.

3 Comments

  1. I had a dog like Zinnia, a beautiful pure white sort of golden retriever. I took Casey to visit a friend in a nursing home and she immediately knew what to do, she knew who wanted her to visit and who didn’t, who wanted to just pat her head and who wanted her head on their lap. I got permission to visit with her at another nursing home and she was SO loved there. I never trained her and never tried to guide her, she just knew. What joy! Zinnia is an angel.

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