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May 2008 Visits
Visit on 23 May 2008 - MINDSville
Hello to all our lovely volunteers,
I'm pleased to report that we had another fulfilling visit to MINDSville. We were delighted to be greeted by warm welcomes as usual and it was lovely to see that staff and patients alike are enjoying our presence so much! Unfortunately, we didn't get to start our PAT program as yet, hopefully it will all be sorted out by the next month - Paola and I will be meeting with the resident psychologist, Jessie, in a couple of weeks to discuss further details. Hence this week, we continued to work with some of the specific therapeutic goals in mind for each patient, mainly concentrating on socialisation and improving on gross and fine motor skills. It was heartening to see that some of the patients that were fearful of our dogs are now patting them, and the old faithfuls waving to us and calling us over during the visit so that they could spend time with their favorites.
A big thank you to Jessie, and to your staff who are always so patient and wanting to be there to give us an extra hand, and of course, a big thanks to my Friday troopers
Melinda Ann Michael with Cleo / Dachshund and Chewy / Catalan Sheepdog
Constance Ong and friend Majorie with XiAn / Labradoodle
Charlie Ho and granddaughter Sara with Silky / Golden Retriever and Stallion / GSD
Vincent Ho with Gigi / Beagle
Paola Ng - my fantastic helper with Beatrice
Chenny Tan - our new helping hand
Louiza Chan with Grace and Beatrice / Spoodles
It was lovely to see that we are getting fresh blood in our Friday troop and very encouraging to see that some of our new regulars are now like pros!
A special note to Judy and Cara, Alicia and Diva, Monique, Nani and Lilo - we and the patients missed you guys!
Please be reminded that there is no visit next Friday as it is the 5th Friday of the month.
The next Friday visit will be to AWWA on June 6th - please check our website for further details,
Until next time,
Louiza, Grace and Beatrice
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Visit on 18 May 2008 - Ward 66A Institute of Mental Health (IMH)
Hi fellow volunteers,
A big thank you everyone for giving up your precious Sunday afternoon leisure to come with your dogs to bring cheers to the ladies in ward 66. As usual, our dog is a conversation starter assisting volunteers who could spend more time with each individual patient and making the interaction more meaningful. We have built a strong friendship with the patients who express happiness and joy in seeing us back on this monthly get-together. Hopefully, our visit brightens their days.
Present were:
Richard Soon & Beatrice with Shorty / Jack Russel & Bubbles / Golden Retriever
Pauline Tan and son with Sunny / Golden Retriever
Chin Yang with McMug / Jack Russell
Tricia Tan with Freo / Silky Terrier
Doris Boo with Bambi / Silky Terrier
Beautrice Wong with Skippy / Silky Terrier
Stephanie Ng and hubby with Caprio / Samoyed
Charlie Ho with Silky / Golden Retriever and Stallion / GSD
We welcome the new PAT team of Beautrice Wong with Skippy, and Stephanie Ng and hubby with Caprio, who came to IMH for the first time and interacted very well with the patients. A warm welcome also to Lok Tin Chan and hubby Teng Wan Siong who came as an observer. They will send their dog Bobby / Shih Tzu for temperament assessment shortly. We certainly look forward to seeing their dog in action.
An arrangement was made with the staff nurse of ward 66 to bring 4 of the patients for a walking exercise with our therapy dogs and handlers at the ground floor void deck. The patients enjoyed the doggie walk very much as they returned to the ward with smiling face, but our dogs might felt a bit uncomfortable because of the hot and humid afternoon. The rest of the dogs had a good time with the patients entertaining them with tricks and retrieving dumbbell for a reward of yummy treats.
We achieved the following:
Cognitive / Communication / Socialisation Therapy
- encourage patients to remember the names of the dogs, talk about themselves and the past week
- provide stimulation, conversation and companionship
Motor / Physical / Sensory Therapy
- encourage therapy exercise by walking with the dog, throwing dumbbell
- helping the residents who are depressed and lonely to respond more subtly to the unconditional love that our therapy dogs offer.
The next PAT visit will be to MINDSville on May 23rd. Please check out our website for the details.
Warmest regards
Charlie Ho
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Visit on 16 May 2008 - Sunshine Welfare Action Mission Home (SWAMI)
Hi fellow volunteers,
I led the PAT team as our team leader, Louiza Chan, had to attend an important meeting on that day. Our PAT team continues its monthly visit to SWAMI Home with great enthusiasm. We welcomed Chenny Tan who came as an observer and helped to handle Silky. Chenny would like to join us as human volunteer. We shall inform her the role of responsibilities in due course. A warm welcome also to Celestive Lim who came and observed our activities. She plans to bring her dog, Duchess / Golden Retriever, to us for temperament assessment. We hope to see Celestive and Duchess in action soon.
Siew Yin and hubby with Nexus /JRT came for re-assessment of Nexus' temperament. They informed us that they were PAT volunteer with SKC. I will write to them separately om my findings
My heartfelt thanks to the following helping hands and healing paws for their gracious time and effort to cheer the ever-welcoming dementia residents of SWAMI Home.
Alicia Chue with Diva / Labrador Retriever
Evelyn Yip and daughter Debbie with Cash / Corgi
Vincent Ho with Gigi / Beagle
Monique Hsu with Sons, Mark, Malcolm, daughter Mariam and Grandma with Nani & lino / Maltese
Constance Ong with Xian / Labradoodle
Charlie Ho with Silky / Golden retriever & Stallion / GSD
The dementia residents were very eager to take our dog for a walking exercise. They also enjoyed giving yummy treats to our greedy dogs. We have lots of fun and great conversation with the dementia residents
Our achievements are:
Cognitive / Communication / Socialisation Therapy
- encourage dementia residents to communicate and talk about their good old days. Our therapy dog is a natural conversation starter. This especially helps ease the residents out of social isolation or shyness
Motor / Physical / Sensory Therapy
- encourage therapy exercise by walking with the dog, and throwing ball/dumbbell for our dogs to retrieve
- helping the residents who are depressed and lonely to respond more subtly to the unconditional love that our therapy dogs offer.
Our next weekends visit is to IMH to-morrow. Please check out our website for the details.
Warmest regards
Charlie Ho
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Visit on 10 May 2008- Bethany Methodist Nursing Home (BMND)
Hi Everyone,
Last Saturday 10th May 2008 was yet another memorable visit at BMNH. We had a fabulous afternoon and a turnout of 11 dogs and their owners who were graced by non-stop camera clicks by mypaper’s photographer and interviews by Soo May (mypaper journalist) with our fellow volunteers.
Our Helping Hands and Healing Paws Stars of the day were;
1. Charlie Ho with Stallion (German Shepherd) and Silky (Golden Retriever)
2. Joshua Koh and Pearly Cheong with Samuel (Burnese Mountain Dog), Gabriel (Rough Collie) and Grace (Border Collie)
3. Elaine Lui and Mum Soo Fen with Polar (Samoyed)
4. Patricia Koh with Brutus (English Bulldog)
5. Rebecca Kwan with Cocoa (Maltese)
6. Beautrice with Skipper (Silky Terrier) on their very first visit as volunteers to TDS..
7. Will, Yvonne, Gerald and Celine with Nano and Enormous, both mini Daschunds
Pauline came as an observer for the first time, but was quick to make herself comfortable did a wonderful job in handling Silky and chit-chatting with the residents.
Thanks to Orchid who never fails to drop by at BMNH to lend a helping hand or even just to make the afternoon visit a warm one for the aunties and uncles.
It was great to have such a mixture of big sized and small sized dogs come by.
As always, sincere Thanks to Sian Yee, Sian Ann, Sigi (who was unable to join us) for all their help and support all this while.
Thanks for Sian Yee and Sian Ann for being there and lending their support on Saturday and for their efforts in helping to get approval from Bethany’s Management for mypaper’s visit despite the short notice. We are Thankful for the tremendous support which yourselves and BMNH has given us in each and every way. J
Stay for just a bit longer?....
The aunties and uncles never fail to welcome us and our dogs each month with their smiles, laughter, eagerness to treat the dogs, or have them sit on their laps, but most of all, just telling us that they missed us and if we could stay for just a while longer. One of the residents was a little disappointed on learning that there was only 10mins till the end of the session and asked if we could stay on for a while longer. It’s feels great on hearing such words of thanks and gratitude and to know that they look forward and really treasure to our visits each month.. I have seen many make huge progress since the time Cocoa and I started PAT, to some residents there’s always the space saved in their memories for our names…or sometimes with just a bit of help they are able to recall….and when they do it’s always followed by a loud bout of laughter and glee.
Simply Cool Happenings…mypaper feature article is out!
For those who missed out on the 3-page feature article on TDS which was published in the Chinese section on Tues 13th May (yesterday), here is the pdf copy for your reading pleasure. Gracing the cover of the Chinese section was none other than our well-trained and handsome Stallion in his TDS scarf. and just a sneak peak....other photos included Samuel looking on innocently and patiently for his treat, Brutus on his *personally loaned* wheelchair and Cocoa snuggling so comfortably on one of a contented aunty's lap.
It was a publication which was certainly well received. I heard that a number of our volunteers went through great lengths to grab hold of the a hardcopy version of the paper which ran out like hot cakes. Charlie mentioned that he even cycled to 2 MRT stations in the hope of grabbing a copy, but unfortunately didn’t manage to. However, thanks to Pearly who shared a copy...so he's a happy man now.
Well, if anyone of you happens to have a spare copy or want to do a good deed of donating, I'm sure there’s a waiting list for it J. As for me, I am one of those lucky ones who get a copy of mypaper delivered to my home….so sorry, this one’s not available for donation….I will be guarding it with my life. (ha ha)
We hope that it has helped to reach out and better educate the community who we are and what we and our lovable dogs have and can achieve.
However, unfortunately there are quite a few of us who are Chinese illiterate (I admit to be one of them), so if there are any kind souls who could translate the article for us, it would be ultra fabulous. (I know there’s quite a few hands up for such a request). I have checked with mypaper and unfortunately the run is in Chinese only.
Visit Schedule for June 2008
The next visit at BMNH will be on Saturday 14th June 08.
Hope our new volunteers enjoyed the visit and will continue to support TDS and make time for BMNH and the many homes we visit each month.
Please do visit our website at www.tdspore.org for the latest updates on upcoming visits.
Catch you again soon!
Take Care,
Rebecca & Cocoa
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Visit on 9 May 2008- Thong Teck Home for Senior Citizens (TTHSC)
Hi fellow volunteers,
A big welcome and thank you to the following volunteers who came to TTHSC for the first time but done well because they interacted with the residents like a pro.
Francis & Elyne with Cash / Corgi
Judy Byth with Cara / Miniature Schnauzer
My heartfelt thanks too to the following PAT old faithfuls:
Evangeline Kog with Pepper & Perdi / Shetland Sheepdog
Monique Hsu , sons Malcolm, Mark and Grand-ma with Nani & Lino / Maltese
Alicia Chue with Diva / Labrador Retriever
Louiza Chan with Grace & Beatrice / Spoodle
Constance Ong with Xian / Labradoodle
Vincent Ho with Gigi / Beagle
Paola - Helping Hand
Charlie Ho with Silky / Golden Retriever & Stallion / GSD
As usual, resident Koo Chan with her tubful of treats was very popular with our dogs as she ever ready fed them. With food motivation, our k9 clowns did their old tricks and brought laughter and cheers from the residents..
Constance Ong and her partner, Xian, did a therapy activity on a targeted resident by encouraging him to throw the ball for Xian to retrieve and awarded Xian with a yummy treat. The rest of the volunteers and their dogs had a wonderful time moving around and interacting with TTHSC aunties and uncles. Human interaction was helpful in encouraging conversation.
PAT session achievements are:
Cognitive/Communication /Socialisation Therapy:
-- encouraging the residents to talk about their good old happy days. Through conversation, elderly residents maintain mental agility
-- testing some of the residents' memory skills by asking them to recall the name of our therapy dogs.
Motor/Physical/Sensory Therapy:
-- encouraging the residents to throw dumbbell, ball, for our dogs to retrieve - this is a form of physiotherapy
-- motivating and assisting the residents to move their hands to pat and stroke the dogs
-- getting the residents to feed treat to the dogs;
-- encouraging residents to shake paws with the dogs
Our next visit is to SWAMI Home on this Friday, May 16th. Please check out our website for more details.
Warmest regards
Charlie Ho
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Visit on 2 May 2008- Asian Women's Welfare Association Special School for Children (AWWA) Hi Dear Volunteers
We had a big turn out of volunteers today at AWWA,thank you!!! Unfortunately not all the children were around as some of them had a swimming class earlier on.
Nevertheless,as always the children were very happy to see us.....and the dogs.
We had three new volunteers join us today and I couldn't tell them apart from our regular volunteers as they just blended in very well with the children. ;-)
A warm welcome and big thank you to-
Simon with Magic Labrador Retriever.
Evelyn and Francis with Cash Corgi.
Angela and Tyler with Banyan.
My heartfelt gratitude to our wonderful regular volunteers.....
1) Charlie Ho with Silky / Golden Retriever and Stallion / GSD
2) Vincent Ho with Gigi / Beagle
3) Judy Blyth with Cara mini Schaunauzer
4) Constance Ong with XiAn / Labradoodle
5) Paola Ng a great helping hand
6) Alicia Chue with Diva Labrador Retriever
7) Yvonne and Will with Nano and Enormous mini Dachshund
8) Melinda with Cleo long haired Dachshund and Chewy Catalan Sheepdog
This time, through our session, we achieved the following:
Cognitive / Communication / Socialisation Therapy
-provide stimulation, conversation and companionship
-tried to get some children to recall our last visit.
Motor / Physical / Sensory Therapy
-encouraged the children to throw balls and dumbells.
-helped some children to walk the dogs.
-helped the more severly handicapped children to stroke the little dogs.
-sitting quietly and petting the dogs.
For our next visit to AWWA which will be in July due to the school holidays. I will come up with a more constructive plan on how to help the children.
Special Observation
Today's visit was extra special because- there this little Indian boy(Joshua) who would scream and run away or try and hide behind his teachers whenever the dogs came near him.He was absolutely fearful of the dogs.
After almost 4months........today I managed to encourage him to throw a ball to Chewy from afar. It worked because,he threw the ball and ran around (laughing and smiling) but he made sure that there always was a distance between him and the dog.He had a lot of fun with Chewy.I had never seen him so happy, running and playing with the dog.
Because he was having so much of fun he was oblivious to the other dogs around him(he wouldn't even let any dog near him before)prefering instead to sit quietly. I think Magic brushed past him and he didn't even care,as he was focused on Chewy :-D.
I tried to get him to give Chewy a high he almost did it........(must try harder next time)
Hopefully he remembers us. :-)
If you have any special encounters with the children and your dogs that made a difference please let me know,I would love to include it in my report.
On behalf of the Children of AWWA thank you once again for bringing joy to them today.
Our next Friday visit will be to TTHSC. Please check our website for the latest updates :-)
God Bless and have a lovely weekend ^_^
Melinda
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