[Vision2020] Caturday (November 15, 2014)

[Moscow Cares]

Courtesy of the Daily Mail (London, England) at:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2831991/The-purr-fect-cuddle-companion-Meet-cat-cares-hospice-patients-comforts-families-grieving-loved-ones.html

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The purr-fect cuddle companion! Meet the cat who cares for hospice patients and comforts families grieving for loved ones

Dying patients at one hospice are fortunate to have a very special companion to comfort them - a tabby cat named Tom.

The seven-year-old rescue cat lives at the VA hospice in Salem, Virginia, where he takes his role very seriously: roaming the ward in search of patients looking for a cuddle.

'There's something about the presence of an animal that has a calming effect,' palliative care coordinator Dorothy Rizzo told VA.gov. 'Watching the cat or petting him takes you out of the sad moment you're in.'

She added that his presence on the ward brings a certain joy to patients, explaining: 'Animals, like babies, are life-affirming in a way.'

Tom was adopted by nurses at the hospice as an experiment in animal therapy, and there's no doubt his presence has been well-received among patients as well as their families.

Indeed, one of the things Tom does best is help comfort visiting family members who are having a tough time seeing their loved ones deteriorate.

'Families often feel helpless. You're watching your loved one die and you know you can't save them,' explained Betty Gillespie, a psychologist at the hospice.

'Sometimes you can't even talk to them, or wake them up. All you can do is watch and wait. But Tom provides you with some comfort; he's something for you to focus on.

Because when a tabby cat casually walks into the room, it sends a message that everything is OK, everything is as it should be.' 

A number of Tom's friends are veterans - like World War II veteran Edwin Gehlert, who developed a special relationship with the cat before passing away.

The day that Gehlert died, it was as though Tom knew what was happening. The loving feline jumped up onto his bed and placed his tiny orange paw on his hand.

gesture that brought tears to the eyes of the veteran's wife of 68 years, Elizabeth. 'That cat took him right to heaven,' she said.

'It was a beautiful passing and that cat is the one who made it happen.'
Gehlert's daughter Pam Thompson told the Richmond Post-Dispatch she feels the same.
'I didn't leave the hospital that day in sorrow or tears over losing my daddy,' she said. 
'I had so much joy in my heart, I almost felt guilty. It was not a sad day. Tom was the reason for that.'

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Furry friend: A seven-year-old rescue cat named Tom is the resident comforter at VA hospice in Salem, Virginia, where he  roams the ward in search of patients looking for a cuddle.


http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_111514_01.jpg

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Animal instinct: Tom has a calming effect on both the patients he sits with and their families, who find comfort in his unconditional love


http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_111514_02.jpg

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Important role: Tom was adopted by nurses at the hospice (pictured) as an experiment in animal therapy, and there's no doubt his presence has been well-received among patients as well as their families


http://www.MoscowCares.com/Caturday/Caturday_111514_03.jpg

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Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares"
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
 
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