Our Furry Friends

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints on your heart.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Whether or not you are a professed pet lover, everyone has had an experience with an animal that has touched them.  Animals have a way of making their way into our hearts and leaving paw prints in their wake.  I am a dog person and nobody can brighten my day like my little black pug, Bentley!  His funny faces make me laugh; he loves to cuddle and loves to be loved.  Bentley goes where I go and I could not picture my life without him.  My roommates are cat people, but when they moved out their cats stayed with their families.  They love Bentley and visit their feline friends often, but it is clear that there is a void only a kitty companion can fill.

It is precisely this type of connection that has led to the advancement of Animal Assisted, or “Pet” Therapy.  The earliest recorded use of Pet Therapy was in Bethlem Hospital in England, in the late 18^th century.  Since then Pet Therapy had been used in various hospitals and health care settings and even prisons!  Animals have proven effectiveness on stress relief.  They can also be great motivators and help with socialization and cognitive and emotional functioning.

We, at Regency Grand, are HUGE pet lovers!  If you’ve ever popped into our main office, you may have seen our cat, Ally.  Though still a little shy, she is getting more adventurous!  Ally was given to us by one of our families, but prior to her we took a chance on a rescue kitty named Hazel.  We saw an instant change in our residents and staff-we were hooked!

Besides Ally, our memory care community, Kingswood Court, offers a Pet Therapy program.  Pet care and play is worked into the daily activities so that our residents are able to build and maintain bonds with our pets.  Hoover is our loyal beagle and Regent is our tabby cat.  He always seems to know which lap to jump into!  We also have two bunnies, Scamper and Thumper, as well as fish and a couple of parakeets.  Our residents light up whenever they come around and our furry friends bring a level of joy into our community that we could not find anywhere else!

My Journey into Assisted Living

As a child I spent a lot of time in hospitals visiting my younger brother, who had a plethora of medical issues.  So, from a young age I had been used to being around people of all ages who were in need of extra care.  In junior high I began volunteering at a local convalescent home.  It started as service hours needed for a school project, but I continued long after I had served my necessary hours.  I enjoyed my time painting nails and styling hair for the ladies in the nursing home.  They would regale me with stories of their youth, as I took my time helping them get all spruced up!  I eventually stopped my volunteer work at the convalescent home in lieu of other things, and didn’t really give it much thought again until the health of my grandfather began to deteriorate. 

About 10 or so years ago he went from his own home to a senior apartment, and after a few years his doctor suggested my family check out assisted living.  Like many, my family and I had only had experience with convalescent homes and hospitals.  We were utterly in the dark about anything that existed between home and skilled nursing.  My family began to research and found that assisted living was exactly what he needed!  He would be able to maintain his independence in a private apartment but would have healthy meals and housekeeping provided for him, transportation, 24 hour staffing in case of emergency and plenty of socialization.  My grandpa loved to laugh and make others laugh!  Not long after the search began did my grandpa select a community for himself, and boy did he fit right in!  We’d hear stories about how he’d been crowed the Valentine’s Day King, or how he’d keep the night staff entertained by singing show tunes to them.

A few years after my grandpa made his transition into assisted living, I made mine!  In 2007, I was a full-time college student and looking for a new career.  I was hired as a receptionist at Regency Grand at West Covina and fell in love!  Much more than just answering phones, I became very involved in the lives of the residents, getting to know them, their daily routines and families.  I took joy in the birth of a new great-grandbaby, sorrow in the loss of a spouse and tried to ease the confusion of scheduling doctor appointments.  I eventually branched out and began helping in other departments, learning the intricacies of how the community worked together to provide for the needs of the residents.  I was very happy in my position and had grown close to many our residents.  As my graduation neared, I wondered what I would do and was saddened by the prospect of leaving my residents.

As fate would have it, a position opened up in our Marketing Department and I was offered the position!  I was thrilled to be able to stay and excited to see yet another angle to assisted living.  Having grown up in the area now I find I often know the families that are walking through our doors, whether it be from church, school or a local business.  I can put myself in their shoes, new to the idea of assisted living, and wondering what is to come.  I am in a position to help families navigate the ups and downs of this transition as their loved one settles into their new home at Regency Grand!