[News] A Special Yorkie for a Senior Facility - YorkieTalk.com Forums

fasteddie · 12-14-2004, 10:38 PM

We always meet nice senior citizens that fawn over Yoda, it's nice to hear of a Yorkie touching seniors on a daily basis.
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For the seniors of the Rose Gate Assisted Living facility in San Leandro, life has been wonderful thanks to Buttons, a very special resident who has played an intricate part in their lives.
Buttons is a Yorkshire terrier, brought to the facility when his owner, Carl LaFrano, became a resident at Rose Gate several years ago.

When LaFrano died in 2002, his family asked if Rose Gate wanted to keep Buttons. Officials at Rose Gate agreed, making the rambunctious terrier a permanent resident. By this time, Buttons had become a favorite among other residents, befriending both seniors and staff members.

Gloria Johanson believes the reason the dogs have had such an impact on the seniors is because they conjure up memories of being at home with their own pets.

Johanson, a services specialist at Rose Gate, believes there is a deep bond that animals develop with their human counterparts, which can be even deeper between seniors and their animals.

"(They) take the focus off being depressed, which allows them to refocus on the good parts of life," Gertie Hernandez, the regional administrator at Rose Gate, said.

Johanson describes the bond that seniors share with their pets as an "affection connection," saying the bond can also reach a depth that most human relationships don't.

"When a pet dies, (some) people take it harder than the death of a family member," Johanson observed.

The bond goes both ways. Johanson said Buttons was deeply affected when her master died.

"Buttons latched onto this woman, and the two became good pals. They were constantly together. However, when she got sick, Buttons never left her side, guarding her," Johanson recalled.

Staff medication manager Dolores Bernstein remembers how Buttons would growl at nurses when they would approach her master.

"She knew something was wrong," Bernstein said. After the woman died, "it took a couple of weeks for (Buttons) to get over it," Bernstein added.

Senior menus

Spectrum Community Services, a social service agency, serves a complete lunch Monday through Friday for a suggested minimum donation of $3.25. Lunch is served at noon at the Pleasanton Senior Center and Livermore Senior Center, and supper ($3.75) is served at 5 p.m. at Ridge View Commons in Pleasanton. Call the day before before initial meal, (925) 931-5385 in Pleasanton; (925) 373-5764 in Livermore; and (925) 484-5131 for Ridge View Commons.

This week's menu features:

Monday: Salmon fillet, tartar sauce, scalloped potatoes, corn with green/red sweet peppers, margarine and seasonings, dinner roll, strawberry shortcake with topping.

Tuesday: Beef burgundy with pearl onions and mushrooms served over fluff parslied white rice, California blended vegetables, fruit salad on lettuce, fruit salad dressing and chocolate pudding.

Wednesday: Homemade vegetable soup, crackers, all-American burger on fresh bun with cheese slice, lettuce, ketchup, mustard and mayo, baked beans, potato chips and assorted fruits.

Thursday: Beef macaroni casserole, Parmesan cheese, Italian vegetables, lettuce salad with croutons/olives and thousand island dressing, French bread and fruit.

Friday: Lower-salt ham, orange/pineapple, raisin sauce, candied yams, green beans with mushrooms and diced pimiento/margarine, dinner roll, and fruit Jello.

http://www.trivalleyherald.com/Stori...594478,00.html

orinskye · 12-14-2004, 11:12 PM

i would have to disagree with the comment that "When a pet dies, (some) people take it harder than the death of a family member"... dont get me wrong, losing a pet is devastating (i should know..... i had lost mine in september), but losing a family member is MORE devastating...... my neice was only three and a half when she died of luekemia and my dog was 8 when she died of cancer..... i cant compare the gried between the two because they were both heartwrenching, but i dont think losing my pet gave me any more greif than losing an actual person.

12-14-2004, 10:38 PM	#1
fasteddie *YT 6000 Club Member* Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 6,238	[News] A Special Yorkie for a Senior Facility We always meet nice senior citizens that fawn over Yoda, it's nice to hear of a Yorkie touching seniors on a daily basis. --- For the seniors of the Rose Gate Assisted Living facility in San Leandro, life has been wonderful thanks to Buttons, a very special resident who has played an intricate part in their lives. Buttons is a Yorkshire terrier, brought to the facility when his owner, Carl LaFrano, became a resident at Rose Gate several years ago. When LaFrano died in 2002, his family asked if Rose Gate wanted to keep Buttons. Officials at Rose Gate agreed, making the rambunctious terrier a permanent resident. By this time, Buttons had become a favorite among other residents, befriending both seniors and staff members. Gloria Johanson believes the reason the dogs have had such an impact on the seniors is because they conjure up memories of being at home with their own pets. Johanson, a services specialist at Rose Gate, believes there is a deep bond that animals develop with their human counterparts, which can be even deeper between seniors and their animals. "(They) take the focus off being depressed, which allows them to refocus on the good parts of life," Gertie Hernandez, the regional administrator at Rose Gate, said. Johanson describes the bond that seniors share with their pets as an "affection connection," saying the bond can also reach a depth that most human relationships don't. "When a pet dies, (some) people take it harder than the death of a family member," Johanson observed. The bond goes both ways. Johanson said Buttons was deeply affected when her master died. "Buttons latched onto this woman, and the two became good pals. They were constantly together. However, when she got sick, Buttons never left her side, guarding her," Johanson recalled. Staff medication manager Dolores Bernstein remembers how Buttons would growl at nurses when they would approach her master. "She knew something was wrong," Bernstein said. After the woman died, "it took a couple of weeks for (Buttons) to get over it," Bernstein added. Senior menus Spectrum Community Services, a social service agency, serves a complete lunch Monday through Friday for a suggested minimum donation of $3.25. Lunch is served at noon at the Pleasanton Senior Center and Livermore Senior Center, and supper ($3.75) is served at 5 p.m. at Ridge View Commons in Pleasanton. Call the day before before initial meal, (925) 931-5385 in Pleasanton; (925) 373-5764 in Livermore; and (925) 484-5131 for Ridge View Commons. This week's menu features: Monday: Salmon fillet, tartar sauce, scalloped potatoes, corn with green/red sweet peppers, margarine and seasonings, dinner roll, strawberry shortcake with topping. Tuesday: Beef burgundy with pearl onions and mushrooms served over fluff parslied white rice, California blended vegetables, fruit salad on lettuce, fruit salad dressing and chocolate pudding. Wednesday: Homemade vegetable soup, crackers, all-American burger on fresh bun with cheese slice, lettuce, ketchup, mustard and mayo, baked beans, potato chips and assorted fruits. Thursday: Beef macaroni casserole, Parmesan cheese, Italian vegetables, lettuce salad with croutons/olives and thousand island dressing, French bread and fruit. Friday: Lower-salt ham, orange/pineapple, raisin sauce, candied yams, green beans with mushrooms and diced pimiento/margarine, dinner roll, and fruit Jello. http://www.trivalleyherald.com/Stori...594478,00.html

12-14-2004, 11:12 PM	#2
orinskye YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: California Posts: 2,990	i would have to disagree with the comment that "When a pet dies, (some) people take it harder than the death of a family member"... dont get me wrong, losing a pet is devastating (i should know..... i had lost mine in september), but losing a family member is MORE devastating...... my neice was only three and a half when she died of luekemia and my dog was 8 when she died of cancer..... i cant compare the gried between the two because they were both heartwrenching, but i dont think losing my pet gave me any more greif than losing an actual person.