Recently, Thomason and Sola visited Terri Wiedemer at Edgemont Healthcare. Prior to the visit, Wiedemer hadn’t seen a dog in 10 years and never stopped petting Sola during the hour-long visit. 

“Sola is the best Bluegrass Care Navigator,” Wiedemer said. “She made my day!” 

Sola’s presence held space for Wiedemer to reflect on her family and grandmother’s Doberman, Carl. Wiedemer fondly recalled how she would lay on or next to Carl as a child, and he never minded. During the visit, Wiedemer and Thomason talked about grandchildren, favorite pets and life events. 

“I think our visit really benefited her,” Thomason said. “Terri said that she was having a rough day, but this brightened her day, so hopefully the rest of the day will be better for her.” 

As an oncology patient, Thomason saw first-hand the gift of joy and healing the therapy dogs brought to patients. As she recovered, she wanted to give that gift to others, so three years ago, she and Sola went through the certification process with Love on a Leash.

“I think it will be a really good thing,” Thomason said. “I volunteer through Love on a Leash, but I think the hospice part of it is really neat.” 

Hospice volunteers are a valuable part of the patient care team. Volunteers work with a clinical team of a doctor, nurse, aide, chaplain and social worker. Because they spend time with the patient, volunteers who provide direct patient care can often give the team valuable feedback about issues that may arise during their visits.  

Medicare-certified hospice programs require providers to use volunteers for at least five percent of their patient care hours. Volunteers are required to undergo training to gain understanding of the goals for hospice care and their role and function as a volunteer.  

If you are a therapy dog handler or have another special skill that could help a hospice patient, we could use your talents! Learn more about volunteering at Bluegrass Care Navigators on our website  www.bgcarenav.org/volunteer.