Tag Archives for Hugh Hall

Pets Can Bring You Health, Happiness

Published in the Woonsocket Call on February 4, 2018

My newly adopted three-month old chocolate lab, Molly, keeps me on my toes. Literally. My daily walks around the block and playing ball in the back yard equal over eight thousand steps calculated by my Fitbit App. Being a pet owner I can certainly vouch for research findings published over the years that indicate that older adults who also are pet owners benefit from the regular exercise and bonds they form with their companion animal.

The Positives of Owning a Pet

According to Dr. William Truesdale, owner of Seekonk, Massachusetts Central Avenue Veterinary Hospital, “having a companion animal can greatly improve your life. Of course you should always choose the right pet based upon your lifestyle and activity levels,” says the veterinarian who has practiced for over 43 years.

“Studies have demonstrated that having a pet in the home can actually lower a child’s likelihood of developing related allergies or asthma. Children exposed early on to animals tend to develop stronger immune systems overall (as published in the Journal of Allergies and Clinical Immunology),” says Truesdale.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have conducted heart related studies on people who have pets. The finding showed that pet owners exhibit decreased blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels. All of which can ultimately minimize their risk for having a heart attack,” adds Dr. Truesdale, noting that people affected by depression, loneliness or PTSD may find that a companion animal may greatly improve their overall mood.

“As a dog owner myself and knowing so many people who find companionship and just plain fun as a pet owner, I can attest to the many benefits,” said AARP RI State Director Kathleen Connell. “While not for everyone, there is an abundance of evidence supporting this. I have heard so many stories about pets in senior living centers and even service pets that provide furry contact for patients in nursing homes and hospitals I know they can do so much to brighten a day. And when you are on Facebook, you almost expect to see friends’ proud dog and cat pictures.

“When it comes to dogs, they need walking. Anything that gets older people up and out of the house is a good thing, even if it requires carrying a supply of clean-up bags. Bending and stretching is exercise, you know. In addition, there inevitably is increased social interaction as people meet and make new pet-owner on the sidewalks and at dog parks. It’s all good.”

Pet-Friendly Policies Abound in Health Care Settings

Dr. Karl Steinberg, a San Diego-based hospice and nursing home medical director and Chief Medical Officer for Mariner Health Central, has seen the positive impact of pets in patient care settings. For over twenty years the long-term care geriatrician has taken his own dogs with him to nursing homes, assisted living facilities and on house calls to hospice patients almost every day. ”It generates a lot of happiness,” says Steinberg.

Steinberg sees first-hand on a daily basis the joy they bring to the residents, even those with severe dementia. “It slows down the day a little bit, because when you walk past a room and someone shouts, ‘Oh! A dog!’, you can’t just walk on down the hall. You stop and share the unconditional love, and it’s so worth it.,” says the geriatrician and hospice physician

For years, Administrator Hugh Hall has brought Bella, a Labrador Retriever, to visit residents of the West Warwick-based West View Nursing and Rehabilitation. Bella is considered “an important member” of the Rehabilitation staff of the 120 bed skilled nursing facility,” says Hall, noting the 8-year old canine is utilized by therapists to assist and motivate patients in their recovery.

“Residents love the ability to ability to interact and hold or cuddle with Bella and visiting pets,” observes Hall, noting that his dog is the “official greeter” at the facility’s main entrance. “The residents get to pet her and reminisce about their pets of the past and this memory is warm and happy,” he says.

Mike, a 12 -year old Labrador often makes the “rounds” with Geriatrician David A. Smith, MAD, CMD, at facilities in Central Texas. His pet’s impact on residents is very positive and improves the quality of his rapport with residents enabling him to get “better history and better compliance from them” he says.

“In a meta-analysis of non-pharmacologic therapies for behavioral problems in Nursing Home Residents with dementia, pet therapy was one of only a small number of interventions that showed statistical benefit,” says Smith, who is a past president of AMA: The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.

Smith warns that there is a downside in owning a pet. Frail adults may trip over a pet. Elders may age out of the ability to care for a pet, placing an additional burden on a caregiver who must care for the pet. Plans need to be in place for the placement of a pet in case of a move to an assisted living facility or if an owner passes away.

Life-Like Pets Can Also Bring Benefits to Older Adults

But, for those who find taking care of a living pet taxing because of deceased mobility or memory loss, Hasbro, Inc., has created a new realistic pet, an animatronic cat with soft fur, soothing purrs, and pleasant meows and a barking dog, especially designed to bring companionship to older adults.

In 2015, the Joy For All Companion Pets brand, featuring the animatronic cat, was Hasbro’s first foray into products designed specifically for older adults. In addition to captivating older adults, Joy For All Companion Pets can help enhance the interaction between caregivers and their loved ones by incorporating lighthearted fun, joy, and laughter into time spent together.

In 2016, Hasbro’s the JOY FOR ALL Companion Pet brand included a lifelike pup that sounds, and feels like a real dog; when the pup’s “owner” speaks, it looks toward him/her and reacts with realistic puppy sounds. That year the Pawtucket-based toy company collaborated with Meals on Wheels America to fight senior isolation and loneliness, which affects one in four seniors across the country. Hasbro donated $100,000 to Meals on Wheels America and provided JOY FOR ALL Companion Pets to local Meals on Wheels programs across the country in order to provide comfort and companionship to the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.

“Aging loved ones and their caregivers have been thrilled with the Companion Pet Cats, and we are inspired by their positive feedback and personal stories,” said Ted Fischer, vice president of business development at Hasbro in a statement announcing the new life-like product. “The Cat delivers a unique way for all generations to connect deeply through interaction and play, but dog lovers continually asked when we planned to add a dog to the line. We are truly excited for the new JOY FOR ALL product – the Companion Pet Pup – to bring even more lighthearted fun and laughter to seniors and their families.”

“We heard from seniors across the country that companionship was important to their happiness. Many live alone, miss having a pet, or are no longer able to care for a pet,” said Fischer. “While it’s not a replacement for a pet, the Joy For All Companion Pet Cat is a life-like alternative that can provide the joy and companionship of owning a real pet, without the often cumbersome responsibilities,” he says.

The Joy For All Companion products are available for purchase on JoyForAll.com.

Real Heroes Need to Be Recognized   

Published in Pawtucket Times on November 3, 2003

Sometimes the actions of real heroes are not reported by newspapers, radio or television newscasts. While stories of poor care and abuse in the state’s nursing facilities quickly make headline news in local media outlets, the good deeds oftentimes go unreported.

Here’s a story about a fire in an East-Providence independent living facility that made the local news one evening in October, but the real story was left untold.

Although the Rhode Island Chapter of the Red Cross ultimately go the ink for being on the scene, there were others – nursing facility administrators, firefighters, police officers and the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care – who also came to the assistance of the elderly tenants that fall night.

On Friday, Oct. 3, a boiler fire at Taunton Plaza forced 117 elderly and handicapped residents from their heated apartments into the chilly night. The elderly tenants residing in this independent living facility  were ultimately not allowed to return until Monday, because of a power outage, smoke damage and concerns regarding environmental contamination by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Although the Santa Maria Club, on Broadway, offered a brief respite from the cool fall weather that evening, these residents needed overnight accommodations because they could not immediately return to their apartments. For that weekend, the majority of the elderly tenants went to the homes of family and friends, while others slept on cots at a temporary shelter site.

Roberta Hawkins, state ombudsman and executive director of the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care, remembered getting a phone call while watching a local television newscast about the fire.

“We really could use your help,” the Red Cross official said, asking her to immediately come to East Providence.

Ultimately, Hawkins and Kathy Heren, her agency’s staff nurse, quickly arrived at the Portuguese club and got down to the business of interviewing residents to learn about their medications, special needs and current health status. Some of the displaced elderly tenants were diabetic on insulin, while others were taking high blood pressure and heart medications.

Nursing home administrators, along with their directors of nursing, were also summoned to the fire site after receiving phone calls from Hawkins and Heren. These facilities would ultimately provide free accommodations for 18 elderly tenants whose health status required medical care  monitoring until they could return to their apartments.

Meanwhile, with information provided by Hawkins and Heren, East Providence firefighters and police officials entered smoke-filled apartments to retrieve prescription drugs. “Some of these seniors need to take their medications at the time of the fire,” said Hawkins.

Responding to a visibly shaken woman, an East Providence policeman even went into a smoke-filled apartment to rescue her cockatoo, a pet that might have died from smoke inhalation.

“The sobbing woman was so grateful that one would have thought the policeman had just rescued her child,” Hawkins said.

Administrator Orlando Bisbano Jr., of Orchard View Manor, came to Taunton Plaza that night of the fire with his director of nursing. He ultimately would take seven elderly tenants  back to his East Providence-based facility.

“We were willing to help in any way we could,” said Bisbano, noting the uncompensated care his facility provided totaled $ 2,300.

According to Bisbano, nursing assistants with wheelchairs were positioned outside Orchard  View Manor for more than a half an hour in the chilly night after the fire, waiting for the arrival of the traumatized elderly tenants.

“We called staff back to the facility who would later help to get them settled down and ready for bed,” he said. Management staff even came back to the facility to process the necessary paperwork that included a list of the new admission’s medications.

Ultimately, administrator Donna Amaral, of Eastgate Nursing and Recovery Center, along with administrators from Waterview Villa Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and Hattie Ide Chaffee Home, responded to Hawkins pleas for help for facilities to temporarily admit the displaced elder tenants.

“This was the first time in my 22 years as an administrator that I opened up my facility to help out in a crisis,” Amaral told All About Seniors, estimating  her East Providence-based facility provided at least $ 2,500 in free care, food and lodging, to six elderly residents.

Besides getting the residents fed and ready for bed, Amaral stressed how her staff had to locate medications for one of her unanticipated guests. One of her newly admitted tenants came without his insulin, and she quickly made arrangements with a local pharmacy for replacement insulin.

Hawkins recounted one elderly man was ultimately too confused to return to his apartment at Taunton Plaza and was late admitted to Amaral’s facility, Eastgate Nursing and Recovery Center.

Upon arriving with no shoes or jacket, Jack Heren, the facility’s food manager, took off his brand-new  sports jacket and gave it to a shivering man. “He sept wearing his new jacket that first night,” said Hawkins, who noted the man treasures the gifted jacket and has not taken it off since his admission to the facility.

Although the R.I. Red Cross and Picerne Management Group, the owners of Taunton Plaza, along with some of the elderly tenants and their families thanked the Alliance and nursing facilities for their assistance, local media did not report the acts of kindness.


It is disappointment the local press did not recognize the local nursing facilities were there and ready to take all of the residents, if necessary,” said Bisbano. “While it ultimately does not matter that we weren’t recognized, nursing facilities are here to serve the community and are prepared to deal with disasters like that fire.”

Hugh Hall, president of the R.I. Health Care Association, a trade group representing a majority of the state’s nursing facilities, added, “I don’t think that there is much positive news in general as we would like to see including positive articles about nursing facilities.

“When this type of crisis [fire] happens, the long-term care community rises to the occasion, to assist, and always will,” says Hall.

Hawkins weighted in on the issue of positive news coverage of nursing facilities, too.

“While local television stations covered this fire, they never really identified the real heroes, that is the nursing facilities, the police and firefighters, who in times of disaster help people they don’t even know,” she said.

“Couples fall in love and even get married in facilities with the assistance of staff. Nursing assistants oftentimes become family to residents, comforting them when they are sad, frightened or dying. We hardly read about these good deeds either,” said Hawkins.

For this columnist, hats off to the East Providence police and firefighters, the nursing facilities and their dedicated staff who briefly provided quality of care for the displaced traumatized elderly tenants and to the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care. Positive news and acts of kindness will be reported and real heroes recognized in this column.

Alliance for Better Long-Term Care Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Published in Pawtucket Times on October 20, 2003

Next Friday, nursing home advocates, state officials, residents and their families and friends along with long-term care providers are invited to North Kingston to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care.

With its emergence on the advocacy scene in 1988, the Alliance for Better Home Care (later renamed the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care) has effectively defended the rights o those who can no longer speak for themselves – the elderly who receive care in the state’s nursing homes. Later in the late 1990s, the nonprofit group expanded its advocacy role into the assisted living, home care and hospice sectors. (This would result in the above-mentioned organizational name change).

Back in 1986, a thirty-something Roberta Hawkins had just raised her two daughters, Robin and Cindy. The former facility worker with 15 years’ experience under the belt working at Warwick-based Levitons Manufacturing Co., sought out a new career in human services.  Hawkins enrolled at Rhode Island College to become a  social worker.

At this time, she joined the federally funded program, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) “to make a difference.”

Hawkins would later be assigned to assist low-income Rhode Islanders in applying for eligible federal and state benefits. However, poor nursing home care provided at the Rhode Island Nursing Home in Providence would later lead to refocusing of the nonprofit group’s mission, one that would aim to protect the health and dignity of the Ocean State’s growing nursing home resident population.

With VISTA funds and small grants drying up at the beginning of the Reagan years, around 1888, Hawkins’ nonprofit group received funding from the Department of Elderly Affairs to refocus her group’s new advocacy role in the state. The Alliance for Better Nursing Home Care was born.

Hawkins, along with six fellow VISTA volunteers, would later form the staff of the newly created statewide, advocacy group.  Three years later, Hawkins would take over the helm of the group.  Three years later, Hawkins would take over the helm of the group. Ultimately, she would become the sole staffer, with an organizational budget of $ 8,000.  Volunteer staff, consisting mostly of family members of nursing home residents, would help Hawkins formulate advocacy strategy, recruit new members, write and disseminate a newsletter and organize fundraisers.

Twenty-five years later, Hawkins Alliance for Long-Term Care has an operating budget of $ 770,000 with a staff of 14 people and a core group of 40 volunteers.  Several years ago, the Department of Elderly Affairs (DEA) out-sourced ombudsman duties to this non-profit group.

Since its inception, the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care has assisted families in both understanding and choosing the most appropriate care setting to place their loved ones, said Hawkins, in a multiple of care settings – from assisted-living nursing homes or to their own homes, through the provision of home care services.

As the state’s official ombudsman agency, Hawkins and her staff work to educate family members and residents of their state and federal rights.  Care complaints are investigated a resolution mediated between residents and the long-term care providers.

As an advocate, Hawkins testifies on behalf of nursing home residents at legislative and regulatory hearings.

Where does Hawkins go from here?

Hawkins said she looks forward to making  bigger changes in the Ocean State’s long-term care delivery system.

“When delivering services, state agencies sometimes cut people off from the services when they reach a certain age,” like rehabilitation and mental health services, she said.  “That’s totally inappropriate,” she adds.

Hawkins also told All About Seniors she will continue to work toward “putting the home back into nursing homes.” The facility must truly become are a resident’s home, she urged.

Rhode Island’s most visible nursing home advocate also wants to see facility staff adequately paid for the valuable work they perform.

“We must get rid of the staff that do not care about providing good care to the elderly and keep those who really do, by paying them livable wages and providing a good working atmosphere,” she said.

Hawkins has gained the respect of a wide variety of state officials, aging advocates and providers in her 25 years of advocacy.

Lt. Gov. Charles Fogarty, who worked with Hawkins when he was a state senator and as chair of the state’s Long Term Care Coordinating Council (LTCCC), said Rhode Island is fortunate to have such a dedicated and committed advocate.

“We all sleep better at night knowing that she is there for us to advocate on behalf of the thousands of frail and vulnerable elderly in long-term care settings,” he said.

Lucille Massemino, administrator of Charlesgate Nursing Center, a Providence-based 160-bed skilled nursing facility and a former m ember of its board of directors, said she sees Hawkins as a passionate advocate pushing for the quality of life of nursing home residents.

“She is very assertive with administrators, knowing the needs of residents and prodding facilities towards fulfilling those needs,” she said.

Meanwhile, Hugh Hall, president of the Rhode Island Health Care Association has seen Hawkins in action over the past 18 years, working tirelessly for the improvement of Rhode Island’s long-term care services.

“She has lobbied the state legislature for better care in nursing homes [urging lawmakers to pay facilities an adequate reimbursement rate and calling for the state to address a nurse staffing shortage],” he said.

Hawkins said she plans to stay around as long as she is effective and as long as her passion to fight for nursing home residents remains. For the sake of the tens of thousands of Ocean State seniors and young disabled people who need long-term care services, hopefully we’ll see her around advocating on their behalf for a long time to come.