JACKSON, M.N. -“Sammy,” a chocolate Labrador puppy, was recently adopted by the Jackson facility to help cheer up residents and provide therapeutic services.
“We know that a lot of our residents had dogs at one point or another and this is a way we can help them feel connected to those memories,” she said. “It’s a huge mood lifter for the staff as well, because he’s just like a little ray of sunshine indoors.”
“We are planning on getting him certified, and there’s actually a way to train dogs to smell when someone has low or high blood sugar, so that’s going to be our first area of focus with him,” Bloom said. “That way, he can alert the staff and the resident in those situations and be an extra layer of protection for those residents.”