New York: Hebrew Home has had a pet therapy program for 20 years; tiny Zeus and gentle giant Marley the Great Dane are the current snugglers in residence.
Now, the activities department is expanding the canine corps with two new recruits in training to give residents more of the affectionate physical contact that has become so scarce and precious in the coronavirus era.
"I talk on the phone every day with my daughter and my son, but that's as good as it can get for now, "said 80-year-old Jeff Philipson.
But his face beamed as he ran his fingers through Zeus' silky white fur while the dog clambered on his bed.
When the pandemic lockdown began in March, dog therapy was suspended along with most other activities at the nursing home. Drive-though visits and video conferencing help with visits and the home recently restarted its dog therapy program to help with the human need for touch.
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"It's really a joy to watch the residents light up when we knock on the door and then say, I have a visitor, and then they see who it is and they just see their whole face and whole demeanor changes," said Catherine Farrell, head of Hebrew Home Therapeutic Activities Department.
It's "more necessary now than ever, really, because the residents' families are unable to visit. There's limited touch for them. And so with the dogs, they can touch the dog and they can have that tactile sensation which they're longing for and missing."
For resident Elizabeth Pagan, dog visits are a welcome respite from the isolation she has endured since she's been restricted to FaceTime visits with her children, grandchildren and terrier-dachshund mix Ruby.
"I miss so much. I don't get to see my mother, my grandkids, my children. It's very difficult," said Pagan, who is recovering from a stroke.
The two new dogs, Redwood and Kida, will continue their training and soon join Zeus and Marley for regular visits.
AP
