The healing power of dogs at Barton Skilled Nursing

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Dogs are helping to keep a home-like atmosphere at the Barton Memorial Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility in South Lake Tahoe.

As COVID-19 progressed, the toll the pandemic restrictions had on residents began to take their toll, and Miranda Miller, the facility's activity director, knew she had to get some of the normalcy back that made it home to so many seniors.

While keeping in line with all the COVID-19 protocols. Miller decided it was time to safely bring the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe (HSTT) pet therapy teams back to her patients.

“When an elderly patient enters our facility and this becomes their new place of residence, it’s important that I make this new home as inviting and warm as possible," said Miller. "That’s why visits with family members, planned activities with nursing staff and especially the popular Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe Pet Assisted Therapy program were my priorities.”

Miller said she never wanted the long-term care section of the hospital to feel too sterile. While safety, quality care, and cleanliness are always a top priority, so is making sure residents feel comfortable and that their new place of residence always feels like home.

"Patients knew exactly when HSTT pet therapy teams were going to arrive and many of our residents had their family members bring them dog treats, so they could keep them in their rooms to hand out when those therapy dogs came in. It was one of the highlights of their day,” said Miller.

The COVID-19 restrictions put on residents at long-term facilities to keep them safe and health started to take their toll on patients as time went on.
Strict isolation protocols nationwide had many long-term residents feeling depressed and sad. Like many affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the normal routine of their life had shifted. Although Miller and her team of nurses and care staff worked hard to provide and increase daily activities, this change was very difficult for residents.

“We knew that many of the programs we had to place on hold during the initial outbreak of COVID would someday return," said HSTT Community Engagement Director Erin Ellis. "Our teams were ready and willing whenever the time came to get back to providing love and attention to long-term residents who had been hit hardest by this pandemic. It made sense to halt many of our programs while we all figured out how to safely live in this new COVID world.”

HSTT pet therapy teams were allowed back at the Skilled Nursing Center in June, 2021, after their programs were on hold for one year.

We all know the effects a dog can have on us, but when you’re a patient in a hospital, that pet visit brings so much more than just joy, it lifts spirits and brings life and energy back into their world. That’s what our Pet Assisted Therapy program does. Our teams bond with patients and these daily visits become part of their life and routine.”

Carol McInnis and her certified Pet Assisted Therapy dog, Maggie, were the first to return. Miller said that the moment Carol and Maggie walked through those doors, residents’ faces lit up, and were overwhelmed with joy in seeing a dog back in their home.

Maggie visited with patients outside and was in no short supply of kisses and tail wags for her skilled nursing home friends and family. It was clear that not only did the residents miss her, but Maggie missed them as well.

The residents weren’t the only ones excited to have the dogs back—the nursing staff saw benefits also. One staff member stated, “Oh my gosh, this is amazing and it feels like home again with the presence of dogs being back! Things are starting to feel normal again.”

While the program remains flexible in accordance with hospital visitation rules, both Miller and Ellis look forward to seeing the smiles on many long-term residents' faces during pet therapy visits.

To learn more about the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe’s Pet Assisted Therapy program, please reach out to HSTT’s South Lake Tahoe Program Manager, Mariel Berei at mariel@hstt.org, or visit hstt.org.