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Seniors Are This
Dog's Best Friends
Kim Graziosi
Special to the Jewish News
S
he's friendly, she's charming and
she lights up the seniors' faces
every Monday afternoon at JVS.
For five years, Gracie, a 65-pound
golden retriever has been a beloved
visitor and friend to the seniors at
the Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish
Community Adult Day Care Program
(Brown Center) at JVS in Southfield.
The Brown Center helps older adults
with Alzheimer's disease and related dis-
orders to remain able, active and alert.
Participants engage in activities that
make them feel independent and suc-
cessful, such as arts and crafts, baking,
exercise, music, field trips and, of course,
visits from pets.
"She's just a nice dog:' says Natalie, an
enthusiastic Brown Center participant.
"She's like a person:'
Gracie is a certified therapy dog who,
more than anything, enjoys food and
attention.
"She will eat anything, and she is more
into people than other dogs:' says Bruce
Thal, Gracie's owner and former JVS
Board of Trustees president. "We got her
when she was 2 years old. She's a rescue
dog, although I'm not sure if we rescued
her or she rescued us:'
Thal has been an active member of
the JVS community since 1965, having
Edna, a
Brown
served on the JVS board as treasurer and
president from 1973 to 1976. He con-
tinues his JVS involvement by bringing
Gracie to the Brown Center.
Gracie sits when told and listens when
spoken to; she even smiles for pictures.
Everyone loves Gracie, and Gracie loves
all she meets. The Brown Center is the
only place Gracie visits, so Monday after-
noon is the highlight of her week. For
many of the participants, Gracie's visit is
a highlight as well.
"The cleaning woman comes to our
house every Monday afternoon," Thal
says. "To Gracie, that is her cue. It means
we are getting ready to go to the Brown
Center. She gets excited as ever:'
When she first walks through the door,
Gracie is hyper, resolute and will stop at
nothing to get to her senior friends. But,
when finally in their company, she calms
down and enjoys being coddled.
"Gracie's visits add to the home-like
feeling of the program:' explains Julie
Verriest, manager, JVS Senior Adult
Services. "It's pretty clear that partici-
pants are comforted by Gracie. She dis-
tracts our seniors from their worries:'
Other proven benefits of pet therapy
include improved cardiovascular health,
lowered blood pressure, diminished
physical pain overall and the release of
endorphins that have a calming effect.
The act of petting also produces an auto-
matic relaxation response.
JN CONTENTS
Center
participant,
pets Gracie,
a visiting
therapy
dog.
Gracie creates a non-stressful, non-
judgmental environment. When she is
present, participants are motivated to
move more and socialize.
"Like music, Gracie can reach any-
one at any level of dementia; Verriest
said. "Verbal communication isn't neces-
sary, although she does stimulate conver-
sation as well. Participants ask questions
about Gracie like, "What kind of dog is
she?" "How old is she?" "What does she
eat?" And Gracie inspires them to remi-
nisce about their own pets — past and
present."
Because participants can relate to
Gracie through touch, her visit is a won-
derful activity for those who have visual
and hearing impairments. Whatever the
circumstance may be for the folks at the
Brown Center, when Monday afternoon
comes around, everyone is smiling,
including Gracie.
Edna, a Brown Center participant,
shared what she loves about Gracie:
"Every hair on her head. The way she
looks, the way she acts; she doesn't bark;
she's gentle. She treats elderly people
with respect:"
❑
theJEWISHNEWS.com
Aug. 13-19, 2015 I 28 Av-4 Elul 5775 I Vol. CXLVIII, No. 2
Around Town
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Columnists
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Shabbat Lights
As a child, Lori Pogoda learned
about Hebrew Free Loan from her
father, who served as an HFL Board
member. Her parents, she said, were
charitable and giving, and passed
that on to her, I'dor v'dor.
As an adult, Lori gave her time
and support to local causes, but was
looking for something more personal.
"I was on boards where my job was
primarily to help plan events and
raise funds," Lori said. "I felt I wanted
to make a change in what I was doing
to work directly with people in need.
For example, I started tutoring children
in Detroit and having weekly outings
with JARC clients. When the oppor-
tunity came to join HFL, I jumped. It
fulfills my desire to be hands-on,
help our community and see tangible
results. It's heartfelt, and it's why I'm
a volunteer and a substantial donor."
Lori, a speech language patholo-
gist who worked with those who
suffered from strokes, has an interest
in helping area Seniors through
HFL's newly-created D. Dan and
Betty Kahn Older Adult Care Loan
Fund (OACLF). "Older people have
so much to teach us," Lori said,
"but it's a tough time of life for some
of them. There is a lot of need for
OACLF. People are living longer, and
when you care for an aging relative,
you want to do the best for them.
You say, `My Mom needs this,' or `My
Dad needs that.' A financial boost to
help with things like stair lifts or
converting home doorways to allow
for wheelchairs can help keep their
quality of life high.
"I am so proud and honored to be
a part of this agency," Lori said. "It's
about rachmones first and foremost."
Become an HFL Donor.
Click. Call. Give Now.
www. h fl d et ro it. o rg
248.723.8184
Shabbat: Friday, Aug. 14, 8:17 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Aug. 15, 9:20 p.m.
Health. A fresh start.
A good education.
The next great business idea.
Shabbat: Friday, Aug. 21, 8:07 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Aug. 22, 9:09 p.m.
Hebrew Free Loan gives interest-
free loans to members of our
community for a variety of
personal and small business
needs. HFL loans are funded
entirely through community
donations which continually
recycle to others, generating
many times the original value
to help maintain the lives of
local Jews.
Times are from Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.
Cover page design: Michelle Sheridan.
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August 13 • 2015
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