As a volunteer at Adventist St. Thomas Hospice, Jennifer Voss knows the power a four-legged, best friend can have on a patient. Through pet therapy she and her two Labrador Retrievers, Tex and Gus, have aided numerous patients with limited life expectancy.
“I have volunteered in pet therapy twice a week for nine years,” said Voss, who resides in Hinsdale. “I started doing this because I realized how big of an impact a pet can have on a person’s life and I wanted to give that same joy to people in need.”
Pet therapy uses certified cats and dogs as volunteers to aid the disabled, elderly and patients in hospice care. Not only can pet therapy brighten a patient’s day, but it has also been shown to increase pain tolerance, lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Voss said it is useful in the hospice setting for patients who have withdrawn from the people around them but find interaction with an animal less painful.
“Pet therapy is great because they allow patients to find a distraction and relax,” Voss said. “Dogs don’t judge patients when their hair falls out or they have tubes down their throats.”
Voss said both of her dogs have been registered through the Delta Society’s Pet Partners program, which trains volunteers and their pets for pet therapy programs in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice centers. The animals must be retested every two years to make sure they can handle loud noises, abrupt movements and changes of atmosphere. Every animal must be calm and accepting of strangers and other animals.
“Pet therapy is great because it is allows patients to take their minds off their pain as they sit and talk to the dogs,” Voss said. “When the patients see Tex and Gus, it brings a smile to their faces and can change their entire day. It is an extremely powerful and worthwhile experience.”
Barb Zerby, volunteer coordinator at Adventist St. Thomas Hospice, said pet therapy greatly improves the spirits of many of the patients. She said the volunteers are a huge asset to the hospice program.
“Pet therapy is a wonderful part of our volunteer services,” Zerby said. “Our pet volunteers help us provide friendship and compassionate, holistic care to our patients and their families.”
Adventist St. Thomas Hospice, 119 E. Ogden Ave, Hinsdale, is part of Adventist Hinsdale Hospital. Certified by Medicare and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, Adventist St. Thomas Hospice serves patients and families in DuPage, eastern Kane, northern Will and western Cook counties. For more information, call (630) 856-6990.
Importance of Early Referrals
A frequent recommendation from families when surveyed about what could have been improved in regards to hospice care is better tools and resources about their options for their loved one. Many believe this information would enhance their ability to make crucial decisions regarding their loved one’s care, including admittance to a hospice program. "I didn’t realize how close my mother was to death, so I didn’t call hospice in soon enough. Some help with recognizing the urgency would have been helpful," said a former St. Thomas Hospice patient’s family member.
Deciding on hospice care for a loved one can be difficult, especially if you are unfamiliar with the process, as most individuals are. Janet Mallo, intake nurse at St. Thomas Hospice says, "Occasionally I receive phone calls from individuals just wanting to know more about the hospice program. I have found that individuals that have called early on in their loved one’s disease process to gather information and resources about hospice seem to benefit the most from hospice care." In fact, St. Thomas Hospice offers a service called an ‘Explanation of Benefits.’ This service entails a hospice nurse meeting with a family to explain in detail about hospice care with no requirement to obtain services.
While many individuals remain in hospice care for weeks, if not months, the median length of stay in a hospice program is only two weeks, with a large proportion of individuals being admitted for only a few days. "If we can educate society about the importance of early referrals to hospice care, then I believe this statistic could be improved," said Mallo.
Mallo believes that an increase in early referrals would result in better symptom management, more comprehensive support for family members and ultimately a more comfortable and peaceful death. To find out more about hospice care, contact your local area hospice or visit the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Web site at http://www.nhpco.org/.
Tommy's Kids Summer Camp
Where can you go to ride horses, meet new friends, cruise down a slip ‘n slide and learn healthy ways to express your 
feelings? Well, Tommy’s Kids Summer Camp of course! St. Thomas Hospice held its sixth annual bereavement summer camp the week of July 11th-15th. Children ages 5-12 were invited to attend, with 20 in attendance this year.
As in years past, each camper was matched one on one with a trained camp counselor. Counselors assisted their campers with completing their various camp activities which included bereavement games and exercises, fun and games and craft projects.
A favorite bereavement activity of campers was the “Getting to Know You” exercise, where each camper got a balloon to pop and then answered the question inside the balloon with their group. As far as fun and games were concerned, they all seemed to be camper favorites! This included fishing, bouncing bronco, water games, piñata, super slide, obstacle course and relay races. The favorite craft project was a tie between flower arranging and the birdhouses.
Please conact Heather Kochen at 630-856-6985 for more information on camper registration or volunteering as a camp counselor.
Photos! Photos! Photos!