Pet therapy may benefit both patients and caregiving staff in a hospice setting. In one study the presence of a dog was found to encourage staff-patient interactions, ease patient-visitor relations, and improve staff and patient morale.

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Pet Therapy 101

We now have a volunteer who would like to provide pet therapy to our patients. The dog is certified through Therapy Dogs International. My questions are: 1. Do you have a specific PetTherapy Referral form?  2. If so, how does this procedure work, ie., do you wait for a nurse or social worker to give you a referral before sending the dog out? 3. Does the handler complete a therapy note after each patient, etc.?   Any help would be most appreciated.   Thanks! Julie Cranz…

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New Tricks for On-going Pet Therapy Volunteers?

Hello All, I am a volunteer coordinator in Bloomington MN.  We have started a pet therapy volunteer program within the last six months.  Come April 1st, we are having an on-going training class for our current pet therapy volunteers.  I am looking for some new tricks or tips to share with these volunteers who already know the basics.  However, I am having a hard time finding concrete tips or tricks to teach.  Please help and thanks. Here are some anticipatory questions: What do you do when…

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A ROBOTIC DOG FINDS FRIENDS IN NURSING HOMES

Aibo, a robotic dog, is being used in experiments to form companionships and improve health of residents in nursing homes. Aibo provides playful activities without the need for feeding, walking, and cleaning up. The best part about this mechanical dog is that the more residents interact with it, the more responsive it becomes. This computerized dog awakens itself, senses sounds and motion, and pings when a resident gets e-mail. Wagging its tail, Aibo also bleeps with pleasure when petted,…

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CAREGIVERS STORE

Recently Published!!
by Maryclaire Torinus

Surviving Hospice: A Chaplain's Journey into the Big Business of Dying Plus: How To Find a Trustworthy Hospice 

This narrative is an insider’s look into the hijacking of hospice by private equity and professional investors and the subsequent harm to patients, their families, and to the interdisciplinary clinical teams. It was released by a NYC publisher on October 31, 2023. For sale on Amazon.

The author, a hospice chaplain, tells end-of-life stories of her patients who were harmed by financially-motivated policies. This is a book for anyone who is embarking on making a choice about a hospice for their loved one, working chaplains, those in training, and those interested in what dying is like with a hospice who places patients as their primary stakeholders.

Maryclaire's experience working for an owner who sold to a private equity firm helped her to realize that the reputation and viability of hospice is in jeopardy. Her goal is to alert all who love hospice to rid it of professional investors.

— Stacy Juba, author, editor, and award-winning health journalist

"Powerful, beautifully written, and eye-opening, this book spotlights the inner workings of a multi-billion-dollar industry and the effect on patients, families, and hospice staff. The author shares poignant accounts of hospice at its best and worst and the hard-hitting truths she learned on her journey. A must-read for family members exploring hospice care."

— Laura Kukowski, CEO, editor, For-Profit Badger Hospice, LLC

"Maryclaire Torinus speaks with authority, providing this essential handbook for choosing a hospice care team and why that selection really matters."

Greg Schneider President, HVA, co-author of The Changing Face of Hospice Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care 

"When I first found out that Maryclaire Torinus was writing this book, I immediately contacted her because in my 25+ years supporting hospice volunteers, I have seen a gradual decline in the quality of care volunteers are permitted to provide the dying and their families. There are a variety of reasons for this that I describe in the Foreward of this book. Maryclaire provides invaluable insights that everyone should know, along with solutions to help others make the right choice in choosing a hospice."

Buy Now