www.ohca.com FALL/WINTER 2022 The Oregon Caregiver 9 FEATURE ways staff at Marquis Companies used animals to engage with seniors. At the Marquis Forest Grove campus, a local farm brought horses, goats, and sheep to visit each resident’s window around the entire community. Other communities organized pet parades in the courtyard with staff and their pets. Scenic drives to horse ranches and alpaca, llama, and goat farms allowed residents to admire animals while distanced and were popular during the pandemic. With government grant funding, Marquis Companies was able to acquire iPads for residents to use to communicate with family members when visitation was limited and to also access virtual experiences to enrichen life within communities. From watching bears catching fish to eagles nesting, residents were able to personalize their virtual experiences. At Marquis Plum Ridge Post Acute Rehab in Klamath Falls, the activities and life enrichment staff put together extensive virtual presentations that featured fun facts about different animals that they would air on their own television channel every week. Jensen says she sees the most positive impact from animal activities and CONTINUES » interactions in her residents with dementia. “It’s a very nonthreatening way to provide that socialization and interaction. Residents will just start talking to the pet, but the folks with dementia just really seem to grasp onto that and talk to it like a small child. It is nurturing to them and can really reduce behavioral issues. It’s often a very familiar thing for them because they’ve had pets over their lives that gave them unconditional love,” said Jensen. Animals were very much part of the residents lives prior to the pandemic. Some communities would bring in K9 units from local police stations to do demonstrations or local certified pet therapy animals to interact with residents. Residents at Marquis Marion Estate in Sublimity made dog treats for the dogs that would come and visit. They also donated treats to the local animal shelter. Some residents would even volunteer as petters at the shelter to give the animals the love and attention they normally don’t receive. “These residents can lose so much when they come into a facility. They lose a lot Columbia Care Basin resident, Laura, holds P2, the dog. “Residents will just start talking to the pet, but the folks with dementia just really seem to grasp onto that and talk to it like a small child. It is nurturing to them and can really reduce behavioral issues. It’s often a very familiar thing for them because they’ve had pets over their lives that gave them unconditional love.” – Lynne Jensen, Recreational Activities Consultant, Marquis Companies
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