Mikki's visit at a nursing home

sit_by_the_beach · Post by **sit_by_the_beach** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 9:11 am

I may sign up Mikki as a therapy dog. An old classmate and I and his 103 year old mom visit our high school teacher in an old folks home. We were going to take turns dog sitting Mikki outside. One staff member came out and said to me "by all means bring the dog in, we love our elderly to get visits by pets"

Everyone loved Mikki. They let us visit Jean in the dining room. Mikki who is shy with strangers, was calm and let the seniors pet her. She did give me a look as if to say, I hope you get me out of here soon, but she hung in there for two hours. She was good maneuvering around wheel chairs, didn't flinch when someone almost poked her in the eye. Alzheimer and dementia patients were more quiet, subdued without drugs. The staff was happy getting the food prepared without having to tend after the old folks. Photo was taken in Peterborough, Ontario, CA.

Karin

Ed, school friend, Jean (94) and Ed's mom (103) holding on to Mikki's leash

bama · Post by **bama** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 1:18 pm

Mikki looks quite content!
I hope you do sign Mikki up for therapy visits. I believe you both will enjoy it!
My Princess Buttercup likes to go to the nursing home.

Surely, the 103 year old is not in the photo...none of these folks look 103?

cheriekynb · Post by **cheriekynb** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 1:49 pm

YAY Mikki! You look like you had lots of love to give to the people and it sure looks like they were enjoying your company too!!

Post by **Auddymay** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 4:09 pm

That was sweet of you Mikki, to be a patient girl at the nursing home. The Old white lady looks just likemy husband's Grandmother, now deceased.

Also, as I was looking at the photo, I got another good idea to help Vicki with her walking of K&K. Better try it in a big empty parking lot first, though...

sit_by_the_beach · Post by **sit_by_the_beach** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 4:16 pm

My friend Ed is 70, Jean, my old teacher we visit in the nursing home is 94, she looked just like Meryl Streep when she was young. Olive on the far right is 103. She lives in Toronto during the summer and will head for Florida the end of the month. Olive still lives on her own, cooks, cleans and bakes for her church. she walks with a cane, the wheel chair was used because of nursing home rules. Olive is SDA, sabbath is on Friday, church Saturday morning. She says 'you are what you eat'. She used to be a vegetarian. She was born in Antigua, eats salt cod, dumplings, greens and rice, chicken, peas and rice. Has never eaten pork. She finally gave me her dumpling recipe, mashed potatoes, flour, egg and milk, fried in a bit of grease. She just got a clean bill of health. She does have a pacemaker, gets B12 shots.

Mikki here, I love the old people, I get lots of attention, they pet me, everyone said what a well behaved, quiet little girl I am. Ha, they haven't seen me chase squirrels or chipmunks. The day the photo was taken I nailed a skunk, which unfortunately was the end of my part time job. Mommy says I still smell skunky.

coleywoley · Post by **coleywoley** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 6:15 pm

That is astounding. She looks and is doing better than some forty year olds. I hope I'm still able to do all that at 75 let alone 103. Mikki looks marvalous...she really challenges the chow stereotype.

vicster605 · Post by **vicster605** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 5:44 am

OH Mikki what a GREAT JOB you did at the home!!! All the elderly folks really looked like they enjoyed your company

And you deserved all that attention

You reminded me of my 95 yr old Grandmother who put herself in a nursing home to HELP all the OLD people there.

When I went to visit her she told me of a 100 yr old lady on one of the other halls and asked me to walk with her...... because she wanted to SEE what she would look like at 100

Too Funny!!! So the question is what does a 103 yr old look like??

Looks like someone with GREAT genes to me

vicster605 · Post by **vicster605** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 5:47 am

OH Auddymay!!!

GIRRRL!!! Now your gettin' a bit TWISTED!!!

Had to come back and tell ya, on second thought since I am getting older and my knees are bothering me...16 yrs of way too much walking......in the future I could still walk the girls if I get a W/C and let them walk me.....hummmm GREAT IDEA!!!!They can file their nails and I can still get out.....if I always have Chows I won't ever need a motor on it

sweetpea · Post by **sweetpea** » Sun Oct 21, 2007 7:41 am

Good for Mikki, great job. And that lady sure doesn't look like she'd be 103, doesnt surprise though. I knew a lady who was 101, blind, still living at home and able to walk around in her house. You would have never guessed her to be that old to look at her and to see how well she got around. I lost track of her, I know she lived a couple years longer but did end up having to be in a nursing home.

Dogdad · Post by **Dogdad** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 4:59 am

Great Job Mikki, I am sure you brighted their week.

dogdad

chowfrnd88 · Post by **chowfrnd88** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:09 am

Aw Mikki, you are so sweet!!! What a good girl you are!! It looks you had a great day, that photo says it all!

redangie24 · Post by **redangie24** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:42 am

I did not even see mikki in the picture the first time!! ha. I need to pay attention. Looks like one laid back pup.

sit_by_the_beach · Post by **sit_by_the_beach** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:48 am

Until you pointed it out, I didn't see your chow on the couch with your little girl and blankie.

I have to learn to set the camera for all light conditions and various backgrounds etc. It's just the book that came with the camera has 150 pages, it will take me years to learn.----Or paint the chow pink.

Karin

redangie24 · Post by **redangie24** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:56 pm

No it is perfect our black chows are incognito!! I think they do it on purpose!

Post by **Auddymay** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 1:24 am

Just be careful walking in the dark. I have stepped on Pip a few times. Now I shuffle...lol.

chow fancier · Post by **chow fancier** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:40 am

It is hard to take a good picture of a black chow. It took me forever to find the settings that gave me a picture of Cinder's features instead of a black blob.

redangie24 · Post by **redangie24** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:42 am

Ivana takes wonderful outside pictures it is the inside ones that I have a hard time with, but I think I have quite a few of good ones of those as well in her photo album.

sit_by_the_beach · Post by **sit_by_the_beach** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:28 am

When visiting the nursing home, I hadn't planned of posting the photo on this site. I would have tried different settings.

I bought pet blinkers, it's a light that flashes, attaches to the dog collar and is visible up to 1/2 a mile.

For Hallo'ween I bought a flashing black cat light.

No more tripping over the chow.

Karin