by Roger Allen

 

Vista Care is the nation’s third largest hospice organization in the United States, with some 50 centers currently in operation across the nation. They have an office in Pooler, located off the Pooler Parkway, that serves a twelve county region. A physician’s “hospice care” designation is generally not made unless the patient has six months or less to live. The main job of hospice care is to provide care and comfort to the patient, who is allowed to make the final decisions concerning their treatment.

Debbie Rhodes, the manager of Volunteer Services at Vista Care, told me that the whole idea of Hospice Care is the philosophy that the last days of each patient need not be spent simply waiting for death but rather providing for these patients new opportunities and challenges each and every day. In Pooler, there is a very special hospice volunteer who (or should I say which) plays a very large role in the comforting of many of Vista Care’s patients. Her name is Anna, and she is a registered American Quarter horse. She is also a registered Equine Therapist.

Her owner, Kathy Metts, is a registered certified hospice nurse and RN-Case Manager at Vista Care. Kathy bought Anna when she was a 3 year old who was in danger of being “put down” because of an accident she had had. After contacting the Georgia Equine Rescue League, she was trained for 90 days by a specialist. Both are members of the Delta Society, which is heavily involved with this Equine Therapy, which they refer to as the Human and Animal Health Connection.

According to the Delta Society, “Hospitals, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers are sometimes places that are cold, frightening and lonely…interactions with specially trained animals help to transform a life of discouragement, fear and sadness into one of happiness, independence and hope. Not only do the animals provide a more comforting, nurturing environment, but patients who have had the opportunity to have these specially trained animals as part of their regimen have shown marked improvements both physically and psychologically.”

In this particular type of therapy, the horse is not actually ridden by the patients, most of whom are to ill to engage in this physical activity. Rather, Anna is brought to wherever they are, and then they are allowed to just sit, walk, feed, or even groom her. These visits last an average of 2-3 hours every couple of weeks. Many of the patients with whom she has worked tell their family members that her visits are the high points of their lives.

According to Mrs. Rhodes, there is a great need for all shapes and sizes of volunteers at Vista Care. First, there are the patient-care volunteers, who assist with home chores and light housekeeping, aid in the preparation of meals, and provide both the patient and their families with companionship and support. These volunteers must able to share the depths of the emotions that the patients and their families experience every day.

Secondly, there are also the non-patient care volunteers, who do not work directly with the patients but rather work behind the scenes. For many people, this is the more comfortable type of volunteering for them. For those willing to help, Mrs. Rhodes can be reached in her office at 330-0460.