Week 2 for Alpine

Alpine's second week went wonderfully! She is slowly becoming the favorite "employee" around the unit. Last week she got into a good routine. She usually naps in the morning, then gets up just in time to play with patients during second group, head outside for a nice lunch break, then back to work in the unit for the afternoon. After we do a few assessments and write some notes, the patients usually ask if they can see her and either sit with her on the floor or throw her ball for her. Even when she is napping in the office, many of the staff ask where she is and when she's coming back! There was even a nice note in the conference room "We <3 Alpine"

The patients are loving her. They always say hi to her in the halls and many of the patients who do not usually come out and socialize, throw the ball in the hall for her and end up talking to the other patients. It is a great way to draw people out of their rooms. Another great job she has is walking with the patients. Sometimes we have patients who get very bored and end up just wandering up and down the halls. When I notice this, I ask them if they would like to walk with Alpine (if I think it is safe). I sit at the desk in the front and they walk with her in the halls. The patients instantly brighten up and many of them end up finding other patients who want to walk with her too. This is a great way to increase appropriate social interactions among patients.

Everyone is loving little miss Alpine. We are going to start working on getting the hospital to approve a therapy dog full time. If they are ok with it, I hope to get a dog placed at the hospital soon after Alpine leaves!  I'm so happy with how everything is going and how well Alpine is behaving :-)

Here is a picture of her sleeping in her "spot" after a long day at work. Such a cutie!