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September 2008 Visits
Visit on 21 September 2008 - Ward 66A Institute of Mental Health (IMH)
Dear TDS PAT
volunteers
We had a very small team of volunteers on Sunday at IMH Ward 66A -- where were
you? we missed you there :( But for those who made time, a million thanks -- you
made a whole world of difference!
As usual, we were warmly welcomed by the patients who stood at the doorway
waiting for our arrival. Besides interacting with the patients, we also played
the memory game. It was wonderful to note that the patients memory and ability
to focus and concentrate had improved significantly.
Our dogs lived up to the role as therapy dogs. Stallion was his usual
mischievous self with his antics, Silky was a picture of calmness, while Pepper
and Perdi, the perfect lapdogs, did a wonderful job on the laps of some of the
ladies. McMug made himself at home running around, while Polar, having suffered
an attack by another dog earlier in the day, was comforted with lots of concern
and stroking by the patients.
For the record, the Die-Hard team comprised the following:
1. Charlie Ho with Stallion/GSD
2. Mabel Ho with Silky/Golden Retriever
3. Shum Chin Yang with McMug/JRT
4. Evangeline Koh with Pepper and Perdi/Shetland sheepdogs
5. Teng Soo Fen with Polar/Samoyed
6. Observers Mr Balaji and wife Usha
We hope to see more volunteers at our next visit -- just remember to set aside
the 3rd sunday of every month!
cheers
Soo Fen
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Visit on
20 September 2008 - Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled (BHID)
Hi Fellow PAT
Volunteers,
Truly appreciate the spirit of our hard core volunteers and their dogs who came
and shared the mooncake festival or mid-autumn festival with the residents of
BHID.
If you are not familiar with the Mid Autumn Festival, my grand-father told me
that it is a popular Asian celebration of abundance and togetherness. It is
usually celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. So straight after the
7th lunar month of hungry ghost, now we have the 8th lunar month of hungry
monkeys looking at mooncakes!
Ooops! my grand-father did not mention "hungry therapy dogs" !!
As we entered to the auditorium, a warm greetings in various chinese dialects
and shake hands from the residents was indeed a great joy in seeing the smiling
residents on this monthly visit. Following the usual interaction, we played a
game of "residents sit in a circle with dogs in the middle, they are taught
names of dogs, game leader points to a dog randomly, 1st resident to guess
correctly wins a prize". We later played the same game with human instead of
canine. The ways the residents called the names were very hilarious .. I will
leave that to your imagination .... with the loud cheering, everyone seemed to
be having lots of fun. Many thanks to Soo Fun who instrumented this game and
hubby Lui Tuck Yew is the seasoned game leader.The game concluded part of the
celebration, and the smiles showed that everyone enjoyed it all the same.
The mooncake festival will not be a festival without the mooncakes. We
distributed 120 mini mooncakes to all the residents. On behalf of TDS, I would
like to acknowledge with heartfelt thanks to Melinda Ann Michael and her hubby
Patrick Nalpon who graciously donated the mini mooncakes as well as 5 goodie
bags for the doggie game prizes. Once again, a BIg Thank you.
Of course in addition to mooncakes, lanterns are also a big feature. That is why
it is also called lantern festival. My thanks to Soo Fen for her contribution of
the paper lanterns.
I wish to thank the following volunteers for their support in one way or another
and making the visit a great one.
- Patricia Koh with
Brutus / English Bulldog
- Helga Kuhi with
Hide / Labrador Cross
- Soo Fen & hubby Lui Tuck Yew with
Polar / Samoyed
- Hilda Lim & Gregory with
Pepper / Mini Schnauzer
- Lok Tin Chan with
Bobby / Shih Tzu
- Eunice Wang with
Baileys / Shetland Sheepdog
- Jelyn Kho and sister with
Fluffy / Shih Tzu
- Rebecca Kwan with
Cocoa / Maltese
- Charlie Ho with Silky / Golden Retriever & Stallion / GSD
Please check out our website for the next exciting event coming on the 27th Sept
2008.
Warmest regards
Charlie Ho
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Visit on 19
September 2008 - Sunshine Welfare Action Mission Home (SWAMI)
Hi Fellow Volunteers,
I led a small regular PAT team to SWAMI Home as Louiza Chan was out of town.
We all missed her and her gang. We went well with lots of walking exercise
with dementia patients who were very eager to walk with our loving dogs at a
very slow pace. I noted that a few of them are quite steady on their feet on
a short therapeutic walk along the corridors. We focus very much on physical
therapy, conversation and interaction.
My sincere thanks to the following helping hands and healing paws:
- Alicia Chue and friend Kristen with
Diva and Magic / Labrador Retrieveer
- Melinda Ann Michael with Chewy /
Catalan Sheepdog & Cleo / Dachshund
- Chenny Tan - Helping Hand with Silky
- Charlie Ho with Silky / Golden
Retriever & Stallion / GSD
Our achievements were:
Cognitive/Communication /Socialisation Therapy:
-- encouraging the patients to talk about their good old happy days. Through
conversation, dementia patients maintain mental agility
Motor/Physical/Sensory Therapy:
-- therapy exercise by walking with the dog
-- encouraging the patients to throw dumbbell for our dogs to retrieve - this is
a form of physiotherapy
-- motivating and assisting the patientss to move their hands to pat and stroke
the dogs
Please watch out our announcement for the next visit or visit our website for
details.
Warmest regards
Charlie Ho
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Visit on 13 September - Bethany Methodist Nursing Home (BMNH)
Dear Pat
Volunteers,
Hope you're all well and fine.
Apologies for the late report as I have been caught up with a few major
deadlines at work.
Thanks to all who turned up for the visit at BMNH on 13th Sept. The session ran
smoothly with the following volunteers and their dogs delighting the residents.
The turnout for the afternoon included;
1. Charlie Ho with
Stallion (German Shepherd)
and Mabel Ng with
Silky (Golden
Retriever)
2. Elaine Lui and Mum Soo Fen with
Polar (Samoyed)
3. Pearly Cheong with
Gabriel (Rough Collie)
4. Helga with
Hilde ( Labrador Cross) and Helga’s friend Sharon
5. Michelle with Yaki
6. Jelyn Kho and Husband Howard with
Fluffy (Shih Tzu)
7. Rebecca Kwan with
Cocoa (Maltese)
It was great to have the following new volunteers join us with their pets for
the first time. Good on you for taking the first step in becoming part of TDS
and sharing your time and doggies with BMNH. They included;
8. Lindsay and Greg Lanham wtih Boomer and Maisie (Westie)
9. Arlene with Butter (Maltese)
We also had a bunch of pet loving students from Pioneer Junior College who
joined us as part of their school’s Volunteer work. They included; Geraldine,
Cher Chuan, June, Ryan and Shao Quan. For memory sake all were in gear with
their handphones and cameras taking snapshots of the session with the dogs.
Thanks a bunch!
The atmosphere was fantastic and the residents were delighted to have us there.
Good to see progress with some of the residents when we played with them the
name game.
Schedule for October 2008.
The next visit at BMNH is on Saturday 11th October. Pearly will be taking over
this session as I’ll be away on leave.
Do give us your full support and hope to have as many of you turn up for the
session.
Until then, take care & G'night!
Best Regards,
Rebecca & lil’ Cocoa
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Visit on
12 September 2008 - Thong Teck Home for Senior Citizens (TTHSC)
Hi Fellow Volunteers,
We had a smaller team of volunteers to TTHSC as some are away on vacation,
medical leave and work commitment. We, however, had a wonderful time interacting
with aunties and uncles who were eagerly patting the dogs. The lucky ones got
loving tummy rubs, massages and tastefult treats. My heartfelt thanks to the
following regular volunteers and their dogs for their wonderful work with the
residents
-
Alicia Chue with Diva / Labrador Retriever
- Judy
Blyth with Cara / Miniature Schaunauzer
-
Melinda Ann Michael & son Shane with Chewy/ Catalan Sheepdog and
Cleo / Daschund
- Paola
Ng - helping hands with healing paws Silky
-
Charlie Ho with Silky / Golden Retriever & Stallion / GSD
With food motivation,
our talented Chewy did "roll over", crawling, etc. a great entertainment to the
residents. Our k9 clown, Stallion, did his old trick again.. barking "hello"
which amused resident Mdm Koo Chan who always ready to feed him.
A warm welcome to Carmel Haley and her daughter who came as an observer. Hope
you have enjoyed meeting our volunteers and the residents, We certainly look
forward to have you and Zeus / Great Dane to join our PAT team soon.
Our achievements were:
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
Do join us for our next Friday visit to SWAMI Home (19th Sept) following wekends
visit to BHID (20th Sept) and IMH (21st Sept). Please check out our website:
www.tdspore.org for the details.
Warmest regards
Charlie Ho |
