Animal Therapy Donors Help Make Memories Come Alive at Westminster Oaks

A few years back, Barbara, her husband and their golden retriever, Max, were trained volunteers in the Tallahassee Memorial Animal Therapy program. Even after Barbara began to suffer from dementia and moved to Westminster Oaks in Tallahassee, her husband continued to bring Max to the residential care facility. And, when he became unable to visit due to his own health issues, a friend of theirs continued to bring Max.

“I remember Barbara saying, ‘Oh, here is my dog. My dog is here today,’” said Martha Inman, Activity Coordinator for Assisted Living at Westminster Oaks. “As her dementia progressed, the line of ownership became blurred — the ownership and the memory — and she would interact with other dogs in the TMH program also. To quote Dr. Cameron Camp, a noted expert in dementia programming, ‘maintain what remains,’ when enriching the lives of Memory Care residents. Animal therapy brings our residents a sense of joy and security.”

It’s those moments of peace and joy that family members strive to see in their loved ones — and the team at Westminster Oaks, part of Westminster Communities of Florida, and the Tallahassee Memorial Animal Therapy volunteers strive to deliver.

“For patients with memory disorders, you’re really trying to give them a happy moment, as those moments can be fleeting. If you’ve done that, you’ve done your job,” said Stephanie Perkins, Director of Animal Therapy.

“We know a visit is a success when it brings a sense of security and joy to the resident,” Inman said. “There is an overall expression in conversation and laughter about dogs and pets they’ve had in the past. Getting a resident to take part in a pet visit is beneficial in many ways: one-on-one conversation or small group discussion for cognitive stimulation; actual petting of the four-legged friend for sensory and nature-based stimulation; and participating in an activity with others for social interaction and meeting emotional needs. These things improve quality of life for as long as possible.”

Inman continued, “When they see a dog, they may go back into their own memories of having pets and vocalize those memories. We then might move into the word games or singing songs related to dogs or how many dog breeds we can name, generally tying the pet visit to all sorts of activities which support   mental, physical and spiritual maintenance.”

Although COVID put the brakes on visits from animal therapy volunteers, Inman said they are back on track for every other week.

Westminster Oaks is just one of more than 70 organizations that Tallahassee Memorial Animal Therapy volunteers visit. Charitable gifts made to the program benefit not only TMH patients, but all organizations, their staff and clients who take part in the program.

To learn more about the program and how you can become a volunteer, visit Our Animal Therapy Program.