In recognition of National Dog Week I would like to honor the furry ‘physicians’ of our society – therapy dogs. Therapy dogs positively impact the quality of life for millions of children and adults. Via the unique human-animal bond, therapy dogs can ease physical and emotional pain beyond what traditional medical treatment and rehabilitation can do.
Therapy dogs are trained to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, rehabilitation and hospice centers, schools, nursing homes, retirement communities, homeless shelters, youth at-risk centers and families with emotionally or physically impaired individuals. Therapy dogs are not service dogs. Service dogs directly assist humans by performing tasks the individual cannot do on their own and are legally protected at the federal level by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Therapy dogs provide a calming influence, companionship, trust and unconditional love for individuals with the following conditions:
According to the 4 Paws For Ability organization, children with FASD, ADHD or autism experience sensory overload causing involuntary, repetitive movements or behaviors. Therapy dogs are trained to disrupt this behavior by cueing the child with a gentle nuzzle or putting their paw on the child. Some children require deep pressure to still an over stimulated regulatory system. Modern medicine uses weighted blankets but therapy dogs trained to lie on top of the child provide ‘contact comfort’ that medical equipment simply cannot provide.
Other documented benefits the organization has seen from the use of therapy dogs include improved social skills, an increase in the length of attention span, improved ability to focus, advancement in abstract and concrete thinking, improved self confidence, greater independence and empathy for others.
Even more amazing is a dog’s response to seizures. According to Right Health a dog can be trained to summon help, activate a medical alert device, pull potentially dangerous objects away from the person having a seizure and perform ‘blocking’ tasks. Blocking refers to the dog keeping the individual from walking into streets or other dangerous areas or the act of the dog cushioning the fall of the individual with his own body. The Epilepsy Foundation describes these highly trained dogs as ‘alarm systems’ as they have the ability to predict in advance when seizures will occur in someone they are close to. Once again, something that modern medicine cannot do with such accuracy.
Not just any Fido or Spot will do. Therapy dogs must be accredited through training and tested in the environments in which they will be working. While large dogs are more suited for service tasks like blocking for seizures or providing deep pressure to the over stimulated, ‘pet therapy’ or ‘animal assisted therapy’ are the terms used when other species like cats, rabbits, birds or other animals are used for comfort and companionship as rehabilitation for the abused, disabled, depressed or injured.
I agree with Roger Caras who said “Dogs are not your whole life, but they make your life whole”.
photo by: Ed Yourdon
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DISCLAIMER ALERT: The ideas expressed in this post came out of my own head, were researched by my own eyes and were expressed by my own hands. They are not intended to serve as medical advice in any way, shape or form. And they do not reflect the views of Humana Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. I take full responsibility if you think this post is awesome or not awesome.
Are you happy? How do you know? We’re talking a lot about happiness at work so I figured it would be appropriate to share some awesome slide shows I have come across on the subject. If you haven’t thought about your happiness for a while, you should set aside some time for reflection and these slide shows are a great place to start.
Come On Get Happy
What would a list of happiness presentations be without a slide show with a bunch of inspirational quotes on it? Check this slide show out for that extra kick in the pants you may need everyday to keep going…
Happiness isn’t just an art these days, it’s also a science. Advances in science and measurement have allowed us to come a long way toward understanding individual happiness.
Happiness isn’t so much about where you live, it’s a state of mind as this persuasive slide show illustrates.
If you’re into mind maps then you will love this graphical depiction of the road to the pursuit of happiness. Be sure to check it out in full mode.
Four step process toward becoming happy through personal empowerment.
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DISCLAIMER ALERT: The ideas expressed in this post came out of my own head, were researched by my own eyes and were expressed by my own hands. They are not intended to serve as medical advice in any way, shape or form. And they do not reflect the views of Humana Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. I take full responsibility if you think this post is awesome or not awesome.
Every baseball fan is familiar with the Mendoza Line. It’s named for a good-glove/no-hit shortstop named Mario Mendoza whose batting average always hovered around .200. And falling below the “Mendoza Line” means that a ballplayer has crossed the boundary between “barely acceptable” and “start looking for new work.” It’s been adapted – usually tongue-in-cheek – in a number of other ways (see “How I Met Your Mother” and Countdown with Keith Olbermann“), but we’ve got a new version: The Mendoza Line of Happiness.
Our regular readers know that we have a passion for expanding the way we think about health - from “sickness and death” to “life and happiness.” And as we were preparing to brainstorm on a new wave of products to prototype and test, our friends and collaborators at Tellart created this rather unique leadoff exercise.
It started with every member of our team approaching a piece of flipchart paper that was blank but for a horizontal line across the middle.
The idea was that we should take the events of a “normal day,” write them on individual post-it notes, and put them on the flipchart paper in chronological order. The trick is that their vertical placement above or below the center-line indicated their relative happiness quotient.
As you might imagine, the lines tended to start (waking up/quiet time) and finish (evening/dinner/quiet work time) high, with lower points in the middle (i.e., “MEETINGS”). I’m pretty interested in being able to track “lifeflow” – the way I’m feeling at given points – and correlate it to what I’m doing (i.e., what I’m eating, whether I’ve exercised and slept enough, whether I’m alone or with others, etc.).
If we were really able to track our relative happiness in relation to all of the stuff that we’re doing, what kind of patterns would we see? Would we find things that we’d want to do more or less of? Would we find things we’d like to start doing or stop altogether? I’m not sure how to make it happen yet, but I’m on a quest to find out.
Where is your “Mendoza Line of Happiness?” What are the things in your day that make you feel good, and make you feel bad? Have you figured out a way to recognize the patterns in your life and to make changes in the way that you do things? I’d love to know!
Mario Mendoza Photo from VintageSeattle.org
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DISCLAIMER ALERT: The ideas expressed in this post came out of my own head, were researched by my own eyes and were expressed by my own hands. They are not intended to serve as medical advice in any way, shape or form. And they do not reflect the views of Humana Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. I take full responsibility if you think this post is awesome or not awesome.
Everyone wants to be healthy and happy, and for millions of people pet ownership has helped to accomplish both goals. The CDC acknowledges several health benefits of owning a pet. It can decrease your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels and feelings of depression and loneliness. It can also increase your opportunities for exercise as well as afford opportunities for socialization and outdoor activities. The American Animal Hospital Association cites that heart rate and stress levels are also reduced by pet ownership. Whether you’re outside taking in the fresh air or socializing in a dog park (a/k/a bark park to us dog owners), it is as beneficial for the pet parent as it is for the pet.
A day doesn’t go by that my 9 lb. toy poodle, Champagne, doesn’t make me laugh out loud and laughter is medicine for the soul. Whether she is performing her ‘tricks’ or reacting to something new in her environment, she lifts my spirits. The American Veterinary Medical Association issued a statement supporting the health benefits of animal companionship for people. The AVMA also reported that nearly half of all American households (49.7%) consider their pets to be family members. My mother refers to Champagne as her ‘grand dog’. Any pet you have a personal connection to – dog, cat, bird, horse, ferret, rabbit, small mammal, reptile etc. – will produce the same health benefits for the pet owner. The Delta Society posts research on the benefits of pet ownership. They’ve found that Medicare patients who own dogs visit the doctor 21% less than those who do not, and that autistic children living with a pet show more positive social behavior than those who do not.
Early agricultural society maintained pets to help with the labor of the farm and found the human-animal relationships necessary for their very survival. Today, the urban population’s pet ownership trend may reflect an unsatisfied need for companionship, unconditional love, or contact with nature. Whether the animal was adopted due to function (utility dog for the disabled) or emotional bonding (family pet), does not diminish the health benefits derived by the owner. Pets have been used in society as ‘therapeutic’ animals for decades. Horseback riding – under the supervision of a physical therapist – can improve a patient’s posture, balance, mobility and function. It incorporates riding skills and gymnastic exercises to produce emotional, cognitive and sensorimotor benefits, cites the National Institutes of Health. Not to mention that it’s just plain fun!
So my best advice is to wag more, bark less and you will be healthier and happier for it!
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DISCLAIMER ALERT: The ideas expressed in this post came out of my own head, were researched by my own eyes and were expressed by my own hands. They are not intended to serve as medical advice in any way, shape or form. And they do not reflect the views of Humana Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. I take full responsibility if you think this post is awesome or not awesome.
Are you happy at work? 