Nathan Adelson Hospice’s Pet Therapy Program is once again helping its furry friends in the local animal shelters. The Pet Therapy Program, which comprises 14 trained therapy dogs, will hold its 6th Annual Dog Bed & Blanket Drive to help keep animals warm this season as the colder weather permeates the Las Vegas valley.
From Jan. 1 through Feb. 28, 2017, all Nathan Adelson Hospice locations will serve as drop-off points for new or gently used items including: Dog and cat beds; blankets; towels; wash cloths; linens; and unopened pet food. The donation drop-off locations are: 4141 Swenson St., Las Vegas; 3150 N. Tenaya Way (near Cheyenne), Suite 350, in the MountainView Medical Office Building, Las Vegas; 2270 E. Commercial Rd., Suite A/B in Pahrump; and 1201 Nevada State Drive in Henderson.
In addition, NetEffect, a full-service provider of computer and information technology support and consulting services for businesses, will serve as a fourth drop-off point. The company is located at 5575 S. Durango Dr., Suite #110, in Las Vegas.
Lisa Browder, manager of the Complementary Therapies Program at Nathan Adelson Hospice, said more than 6,900 items have been donated to local shelters over the last five winter seasons thanks to the generous collections received by community members, volunteers and employees.
“Our Pet Therapy Program is filled with compassionate pet therapists who are thrilled to collect items for local shelter animals,” Browder said. “We all love to support these animals looking for a forever home and also the shelters that house and take care of them. In fact, most of the pets working in our program originally came from shelters.”
The Pet Therapy Program is part of the Bonnie Schreck Memorial Complementary Therapies Program, which was created in 1999 as a means by which the hospice could provide a greater range of valuable therapies to patients. Patients and loved ones are able to request various therapies and techniques, such as pet therapy, reiki, reflexology, massage, and aromatherapy, to help ease discomfort by providing a calming and soothing environment. The goal is to provide the most effective, innovative and compassionate care possible. The Pet Therapy Program’s innovative strategy is designed to help improve the quality of life for hospice patients and has been one of the most successful therapies implemented thus far. It has been shown that spending time with a friendly animal can lift depression, lower blood pressure and respiratory rates, and bring comfort.
About Nathan Adelson Hospice
Nathan Adelson Hospice, the trusted partner in providing hospice care and palliative medicine for 37 years, is the largest non-profit hospice in Southern Nevada, caring for an average of 300 patients daily. In 1978, Nathan Adelson Hospice began providing home care hospice service in Southern Nevada with the mission to offer patients and their loved ones with comprehensive end-of-life care and influence better care for all in the community. In 1983, Nathan Adelson Hospice opened an in-patient hospice in Las Vegas, and today the hospice is recognized as a national model for superior hospice care.
The mission of the hospice is to be the Hospice of Choice, the Employer of Preference and a Training Center of Excellence. Its vision is simple: no one should end the journey of life alone, afraid or in pain. The hospice also is home to The Center for Compassionate Care, a non-profit counseling agency providing individual, group and family counseling services to address grief, loss and issues related to surviving life-threatening illnesses. For more information, visit www.nah.org.
