Here are the basic facts:
- Our older adults have been quarantined since mid-March 2020: 15 Months, 60 weeks, and well over 450 days.
- Many of them sat alone throughout that time, watching a world in turmoil.
- Multiple studies show that close to 60% of seniors are without regular visitors. (The facts before the pandemic.)
- Sitting alone and isolating can be severely detrimental to someone’s mental health as loneliness and depression sets in.
- Loneliness and depression can escalate symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Coming back into the world again for many of our seniors can be overwhelming and full of anxiety, as they anticipate navigating their community again. In the past 15 months, there has likely been a decline in health, or perhaps neglect of home repairs and maintenance. It could also contribute to additional confusion. People are different than they were before. The people they used to count on in the outside world, many of which were let go, or even worse, were victims of the pandemic themselves. Services are different. The online world is thriving, and yet, many of them aren’t connected there. Instead, they relied on the neighborhood store, or small business, which they find closed their doors.
Every holiday season for the past seven years, Answers for Elders’ program the 12 Days of Goodness is to help our seniors know that they are loved, because we know that the world mostly forgets them. We team up with Seahawks Legends who help us to “touch the hearts of seniors” throughout Greater Puget Sound. Last year we were unable to do the program, but this year, we are cautiously optimistic that we will have the opportunity to resume the program, but in the meantime, I got an idea…
What most of our viewers and listeners do not know, is that I have an incredible goldendoodle dog named, “Whidbey.” I am also a senior admin of an online Facebook group, “Washington Doodle Owners” which proudly hosts close to 6,000 members and still growing by hundreds of new members every day! It dawned on me… “What if we put together a Therapy Doodle program to help our seniors?” What sprung from asking that question, has now begun an intensive training program that we hope by mid Fall, we will turn many family doodles, into certified therapy dogs that can provide comfort and quell anxiety and apprehension.
Currently, with the help of CarePartners Senior Living as a sponsor, and some incredible members of our group and a certified Therapy and Service Dog trainer, the right pieces are coming together to create a cohesive network of Doodle Therapy Dogs around the State of Washington! We hope to have our first group “working” this year and bring forward a steady flow of a new class on an ongoing basis during the upcoming year!
If you know of a senior in Washington State that needs a bit of support, contact us! I may not be my Whidbey yet, but we can certainly help to find a special pooch that just might do the trick in helping to ease that fear and support your loved one through the process!!
