SPRING TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Some may say Reading Hospital Rehabilitation’s newest employee is somewhat of a magician.
“It brings a lot of magic into the therapy sessions; patients who are doing a normal therapy session aren’t as motivated, but you incorporate an animal into therapy, into their sessions, they’re smiling more, they’re laughing, it’s just a whole new ball game,” said Nikki Hartman, Program Director.
After all, Teton, a two-and-a-half-year-old Labrador & Golden Retriever, does do tricks.
“He’s trained in a variety of different therapeutic tasks, including balance activities, pressure activities, and straight visitation and emotional support,” said Hartman.
“He’s only been with us since June, and the outcomes have been fantastic. Patients are so thrilled with him,” she added.
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One patient from Mt. Penn with Multiple Sclerosis says Teton can even make things disappear.
“Petting a dog, it just all goes away. Right now, I’m having issues with my left arm, and just to be able to stroke something, it’s nice to get any kind of feeling,” said Felecia Hall, a current patient at Reading Rehabilitation.
“A lot of folks, if they’ve had a stroke or a brain injury, they may have a hard time getting their words out, and if you incorporate an animal into the session, these folks just start talking,” Hartman said.
It’s important to note that Teton is a facility dog and not a therapy dog, but what’s the difference?
Teton is highly trained to help patients with rehabilitation.
“He loves people,” said Speech Language Pathologist Allison Stolz. “He loves being around a lot of people. He loves helping, so they thought he’d be the best fit working with many people rather than just one person.”
With just a wag of his magic wand, Teton is already helping many patients at the facility.
“Who doesn’t love dogs?” Hall said. “I just want to hug them,” she added.