PAWS visiting Sites PAWS for Elders Assisted Living Assisted living means that people are in pretty good shape both physically and mentally but need some assistance when it comes to things like laundry, cleaning, and making meals. AL folks are relatively hearty and can take a more energetic dog. They also often have lunch dates or are out of the building, so their lives are relatively full. They tend to go into their rooms after meals and watch TV or read. If their doors are shut, you can feel confident about knocking and asking if they'd like a visit. Abbey Manor Cardinal Village Emeritus at White Chapel Granite Farms Estates Heritage of Dover The Hickman Highfield Masonic Home of Delaware Jenner s Pond Lima Estates Little Sisters of the Poor Luther Towers I Luther Towers II Methodist Country House Millcroft Somerford House Sunrise of Wilmington Wellington at Hershey s Mill Alzheimer s Alzheimer's disease is a disease of the brain causing memory loss. Most ALZ residents are in reasonably decent physical shape but their minds are failing. They must be confined (locked down) so they don't stray away, and are usually kept together in common areas for socialization and stimulation. Pet visits often reach ALZ patients then people cannot. The magic of the pet-human connection is most evident in this type of visit. Cokesbury Village Memory Care Unit Elwyn Senior Reflections Wilmington Emeritus at White Chapel Foulk Manor North Foulk Manor South Jenner's Pond The Lorelton Assisted Living Somerford Place Sunrise of Wilmington
Skilled care Patients residing in skilled care facilities are in need of serious medical care on a regular basis. Much like a hospital setting, a skilled care facility presents a pet therapy team with challenges of visiting people in their beds, the noises of ventilators, lots of wheelchairs, and nursing staff on call 24 hours a day. Therapy teams are needed in such places to help people stave off boredom, brighten their days, and give them some comfort and maybe a little escape for the daily issues of their illness. Arbors of New Castle Cadia Rehabilitation - Broadmeadow Cadia Rehabilitation Silverside Carneys Point Care Rehab & Nursing Center Cokesbury Village Emily P. Bissell Hospital Jenner s Pond - Preston Residence Lima Estates Millcroft Oblates of St. Francis de Sales Wellington at Hershey s Mill Wilmington VA Hospital Adult Day care Adult day care is a program for older adults that need a place to be during the day, while they return to their families or caretakers in the evening. Day care services include stimulating programs and crafts. Our therapy animals make a great addition to the services offered. Union Hospital Adult Day Services Elkton, MD Hospice Working in partnership with both Willow Tree Hospice and Compassionate Care Hospice, PAWS provides the pet therapy training and coordination, while the hospices provide interested volunteers and the scheduling of visits. Our agreement with Heartland Hospice, however, is more typical of PAWS arrangements: our trained teams decide that they want to visit at Heartland, and they then complete Heartland's own orientation and training. Requirements: Advanced Level STEX Amedisys Hospice Cecil County, Maryland Compassionate Care Hospice Wilmington Compassionate Care Dover Compassionate Care - Media Willow Tree Hospice - Pennsylvania Wilmington VA Hospital
Hospitals Cancer Treatment Both Chemotherapy and radiation are offered at Graham. We can visit anywhere in the building but find that being with new, frightened chemo patients or sitting with those who have returned for more treatments is extremely helpful. Requirements: Advanced level STEX (completion of Christiana Care Volunteer process for Helen F. Graham Cancer Center) Helen F. Graham Cancer Center Newark, DE Regional Oncology & Hematology Elkton, MD Hospital Visiting Presently, PAWS teams visit eleven units in Christiana Care (Newark), four units in Christiana Care (Wilmington), four units in Union Hospital, Physical Therapy at St. Francis Hospital, and several chemotherapy labs at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center. Working with children, our teams visit A.I. DuPont Children s Hospital, Exceptional Care for Children and the radiation unit at Helen Graham. Requirements: ADVANCED Level STEX and Hospital Volunteer Services application Christiana Care Newark Main Lobby 2E - ICU 3A Antepartum Unit 3D Pulmonary Stepdown Unit 3E Medical ICU 4C Urology 4E Cardiac/Vascular Unit 5A, 5B, & 5C Medical/Surgical Unit 5E - Heart Unit 6A ACE Unit (Acute Care for the Elderly) 6B Oncology 6C STAR Unit 6E Medical Unit Christiana Care Wilmington Hospital ACE Unit 4E-W 3N - Psych Unit Exceptional Care for Children Union Hospital Breast Health Center Med/Surg PCU Pediatrics Psychiatric Wound Care Center Kent General Hospital
PAWS for Adults with SPECIAL NEEDS Visiting with adults with varying levels of disabilities requires both patience and compassion from the human and a pet that is comfortable in an environment very different from home. Close work with the staff helps a team know how best to work with the participants, most of whom are delighted to be able to pet and play with a therapy companion. Drug & Alcohol Treatment Programs Residential treatment centers provide several types of visits for our therapy teams. Sometimes there is unstructured time when the patients can just hang out with our pets and get the love and attention they may be missing; we also are invited to attend group discussion sessions where the presence of a therapy pet can reduce anxiety, provide comfort, and become a reminder that there is hope and a future. Bowling Green Brandywine Toughkenamon, PA Mirmont Treatment Center Lima, PA Cecil County Dept. of Health-Alcohol and Drug Recovery Center Elkton, MD Adults with mental and physical disabilities Easter Seals Easter Seals cares for adults with developmental disabilities. There are 2 separate programs at this one site - one for folks who are higher functioning - they play computer, dominoes, watch movies, and do crafts. The other section is for folks with more debilitating disabilities - we have been working one on one with several of these folks through the PT program. Adult Health Day Services Developmental Disabilities Day Services Saturday Respite Program
CERTS CERTS provides high-level care to adults with disabilities. CERTS is a nonprofit that was founded by families of people with disabilities, and has grown into a successful support system to those living with a disability. You will find CERTS to be a warm and loving atmosphere. CERTS Newark, DE CHIMES Chimes provides individuals with disabilities a network of services to address a lifetime of needs. The Delaware Chimes opens its doors to folks with many levels of abilities and disabilities, all of whom leave the day program to live in group homes. A high ratio of staff-participant makes it easy for our therapy teams to provide the individualized therapeutic visits we are known for. CHIMES Newark, DE CHIMES New Castle, DE CHESAPEAKE CARE RESOURCES Chesapeake Care is a residential program for adults with cognitive disabilities. The pleasant environment at these sites lends itself to a wonderful, caring and patient staff. The North East location houses those with more severe disabilities, while the Lokey Center hosts those at a higher cognitive function. Lokey Center Elkton, MD Chesapeake Care Center North East, MD WEST END NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE West End Neighborhood House is a facility for adults ages 18-24 who have aged out of the foster care system. West End is a haven for them, offering housing and access to job training and therapy sessions. Therapy teams here have the opportunity to work one-on-one with the residents and a counselor, and also have the chance to do group therapy visits. West End Neighborhood House Wilmington, DE
PT/OT/Speech Therapy PAWS teams work directly with therapists at a number of different sites to assist in their clients' progress. Besides the love and comfort that our pets give freely, they also provide the motivation for trying some new movements, working longer, and enjoying the activities. This in turn allows the clients to relax while exercising, which helps their muscles work with less strain and tension. Christiana Care PT Plus Newark Christiana Care Rehab Services Springside PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES PAWS psychiatric services offer care and compassion for those that are either in a long-term or short-term care setting for mental illnesses. The severity of the illness may vary, but our therapy dogs do not mind they provide comfort on a level that is very healing for these patients. Requirements: Advanced Level STEX, psychiatric services training with PAWS staff Carneys Point Care Rehab & Nursing Center Penns Grove, NJ Dover Behavioral Health Dover, DE MeadowWood Behavioral Health New Castle, DE Rockford Center Newark, DE PAWS for Children Autism Initiative Autism is a spectrum disorder that affects children very differently so each child needs to be approached differently. Many children who have autism do not form relationships, are very aware of space around them, may internalize things and repeat words or phrases and not initiate questions or interactions. Requirements: Advanced Level STEX and completed a 6-hour specialized Autism training Brennen School and satellite schools Children with BEHAVIORAL ISSUES Children in these visiting settings are typically adolescents (ages 12-18) who may have conduct disorders, anger, impulsivity, and/or ADHD. Many of these children have been sentenced by the court and are awaiting a hearing, or have been pulled out of their home and are awaiting a decision by the court system. PAWS therapy teams are used for self-soothing and stress management, as well as integration into other activities. Grace, Snowden & Mowlds Cottages Wilmington, DE
Children with Special Needs Special needs may range from learning differences that make it impossible for a child to succeed in a public school environment to physical disabilities that keep a child from functionally successfully in a public school setting. The children we visit in this category range in age from 6 months to 21. Requirements: Advanced Level STEX Exceptional Care for Children First State School Nurses N Kids Sterck School/Delaware School for the Deaf UD College School UD Lab Preschool Early Learning Center Mobility Project PAWS teams have been working with the preschoolers at the Early Learning Center in Newark, Delaware since the fall of 2008. In the spring of 2009, however, we have added work with Cole Galloway's Mobility Project, which utilizes our therapy companions' skills in working with children who are not independently mobile. Working one-on-one with Physical Therapist Tracy Stoner and a child, our teams provide motivation for extended movement, distraction from difficult exercises, and fun for the children who are working so hard to learn to walk or use their motorized devices. Requirements: Advanced Level STEX and a PAWS recommendation Early Learning Center Newark NEMOURS/ALFRED I. DuPont CHILDREN S hospital We welcome our newest partnership with Nemours visiting in the outpatient units of this highly esteemed children s hospital in North Wilmington, Delaware. Requirements: Master s Level Certification through PAWS for People
PAWS for Reading PAWS for Reading is a program that allows children to read aloud to a therapy dog (or cat) in order to improve reading and communication skills. Children read individually to trained therapy pets (and their handlers) in schools, libraries, or other settings where they can feel comfortable and confident -- and have fun! After all, a dog will not correct them or make them feel awkward if they stumble. Requirements: Advanced Level STEX; PAWS for Reading Training Library Delaware - Bear, Brandywine, Claymont, Kirkwood, Newark, New Castle, South Coastal, Wilmington MD Cecil College NJ Logan, Mullica Hill, Swedesboro, West Deptford PA Atglen, Bayard Taylor, Downingtown, Media, Parkesburg School Albert Einstein Academy Avon Grove Charter School (PA) Bainbridge Elementary (MD) Eisenberg Elementary Elbert Palmer Elementary Evergreen Elementary School (NJ) Garnet Valley School (PA) Green Fields School (NJ) Highlands Elementary School Kenmore Elementary (MD) Linden Hill Elementary Octorara Primary Learning Center (PA) Pleasant Valley School (NJ) Positive C.H.A.N.G.E. Academy Pulaski School Radnor Middle School (PA) Richey Elementary Southern Elementary St. Anthony of Padua Stars to Success/Leasure Elementary Talley Middle School The Tatnall School Walnut Street School (NJ) W. Reily Brown Elementary Walnut Street School (NJ) Woodbury Junior High (NJ) Other Ronald McDonald House Terry Children s Psychiatric Center UMC After School Tutoring Program
Pre-K PAWS An educational program designed specifically for our earliest learners. Requirements: Advanced Level STEX; Pre-K PAWS Training School Christ Church Episcopal Preschool Swedesboro Head Start (NJ) PAWS BY SPECIAL REQUEST PAWS by Special Request is a service PAWS offers to people who wish to request personalized one-on-one visits for a loved one. People are invited to contact PAWS for this service when they think a visit with a loving PAWS pet and caring PAWS human would be good for someone they care about. Some of the visits we have done within this program are as follows: individual work with children who have autism, spending time with a father on hospice care, sitting with patients receiving chemo-therapy, visiting with a woman with worsening Alzheimer's helping her recall her youth and good times with her dog. Pet Emergency Response Therapy Teams A brand new program designed in conjunction with DEMA (Delaware Emergency Management Agency), PERTT volunteers will visit with those displaced by a natural disaster (flood, fire, etc.) into a temporary shelter. Our teams will be on call to visit these folks to ease their anxiety while displaced. The teams will need to take a special training class through DEMA and pass their Standards of Excellence testing at the ADVANCED level. PERTT volunteers must also be PAWS members for at least six months prior to participating in this program. CECIL COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES PAWS has teamed with Cecil County, Maryland s Department of Social Services to offer specialized pet therapy visitation to the department s numerous programs. The department works with women and children that have been in abusive situations (sexually or otherwise), as well as in the court system and with foster care children. Any team interested in this program must be PAWS members for at least six months prior to participation, as well as pass STEX at the ADVANCED level and complete a mandatory training session given by PAWS. Domestic Violence Shelter Family Visitation House Foster Care Visitation Cecil County Courthouse TREMM Counseling Sessions