libby’s house

Sally’s Impact on Me & Her Love of Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Therapy Dog

Posted by Barbara Techel

Frankies book2_v1c47Illustration from Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Therapy Dog Visits Libby’s House children’s book

In Saturdays blog post I shared with you that Sally, a resident at Libby’s House (senior assisted living facility), who I had come to adore, passed away at the age of 100 earlier in May. The adoration was mutual as she loved it when Frankie came to visit. She would become quite animated watching Frankie roll into the main living room.

I was so touched by the friendship that transpired between the two that I wrote about them in my second children’s book, Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Therapy Dog Visits Libby’s House. While all the residents were special, some just left an extra special mark on my heart that will always be there. Sally was absolutely one of those people.

As a tribute to her, I thought I’d share the part in my book where I wrote about her. To protect her privacy at the time, her name was changed to Lila. Her name after a dear friend (a therapy dog tester) who was pregnant with a little girl, who she would name Lila, while Frankie and I were training for her therapy dog certification.

Excerpt:

The following month flowers are blooming with every color in the rainbow and people are outside cutting their grass. Kids are playing in the park. The warm wind blows my ears back as we drive to Libby’s House.

It is hard to know I won’t see Daniel anymore when I visit. But, I hold my head high as I roll through the front doors once again.

Patty is waiting to for us. She bends down to stroke my fur. “Frankie, there is someone new waiting to meet you,” she says happily.

“Her name is Lila, and she loves dogs. I have told her all about you and she is eager to visit with you.” Patty leads the way as Mom and I walk side by side.

Lila is siting in the chair where Daniel used to wait for me. Her hair is short and silver and her walker is resting next to the chair.

Patty quietly says to my mom, “It is hard to understand Lila when she talks, but she tries to communicate.”

Mom picks me up and kneels down in front of Lila. She rests the front of my paws on the arm of the chair while she holds the back of my wheelchair in her hands. Lila’s hands are shaking as she reaches out to pet my head. She looks deep into my eyes and chatters up a storm. I am not sure what she is saying, but my heart feels all warm and fuzzy again. I have made another new friend.

As I revisit the writing of this book again, I wrote it because I wanted young kids to not be afraid to visit the elderly in nursing homes. It can sometimes feel scary, but I wanted to make it feel less scary. To help them understand that sometimes older people are going through things just like they did when they were little. Sometimes needing help with brushing their teeth or needing help to remember to take their medicine.

Sally, and so many others, certainly taught me to appreciate life so much more. For that, I’m so grateful to each of them. And Sally showed me that even though she couldn’t communicate in words, it was her infectious smile and enthusiasm that conveyed to me how happy she truly was. Her connection with Frankie was such a gift and I’ll remember it always.

Remembering 100 Year old Sally & Frankie the Therapy Dog Visits with Her

Posted by Barbara Techel

sally and FrankieSally was one of my favorite residents at Libby’s House, Senior Assisted Living Facility. For three years, once a month, I’d take Frankie there as she was a certified therapy dog, and she would work her magic with the residents.

I remember being so nervous the first few times I visited. Many residents have Alzheimer’s or dementia. While I had experience around dementia because my grandma had it in later years, I’d never been around anyone with Alzheimer’s.

While not everyone at Libby’s House was challenged with either of these diseases, I didn’t know Sally’s situation as I wasn’t allowed due to the HIPPA Act. But meeting her and being with her the first few visits put me at ease. She was such a delight!

She couldn’t speak- well, I should say, not that you could understand. It was as if her brain had scrambled her words and it came out in gibberish fashion. But could she carry on a conversation! I would smile and nod as she always became quite animated and talkative when she would see Frankie roll into the main living room of Libby’s House.

The only word I could understand that she would say was the word little. She’d say it over and over again when Frankie came to visit. I assumed it was because Frankie was so small. She’d also clap her hands and begin what almost seemed like the sweetest chant, with her eyes fully lit up as she’d repeat, “little, little, little.”

On one visit a few months months after we’d been going on a regular basis, clear as a bell she said “Frankie!” The RN and I looked at each other and were in awe she said Frankie’s name. It is a moment I cherish in my heart.

Sally was always smiling when we visited. Always. During the last few months before I retired Frankie, Sally began singing. Again, you couldn’t understand the words, but she knew what she was signing. It’s as if she was a beautiful bird singing her own special tune.

Though I didn’t always know many personal things about the residents, I did know that Sally never had children. In many ways, I felt a special kinship with her being I never had kids. I’d often find myself looking at her wondering if this will be me someday. And if so, I hope I have the amazing, happy spirit that she had every time I saw her.

I didn’t learn of Sally’s passing until yesterday. It just so happens that John is doing work on Sally’s niece’s house, who adored her aunt Sally. She told John that Sally had passed away in early May and had celebrated her 100th birthday recently. While going through Sally’s things she came across a photo of Frankie I’d given Sally.

My eyes filled with tears as John relayed the story to me. For a moment sadness because I was truly fond of Sally. But then happiness for the sweet memories I have of her. How honored I feel to have been part of her life for such a short time.

I felt the need to know more about Sally and found her obituary on line. She died on the afternoon of May 4th. I thought about where I was that day. I was at Bookworm Gardens with Gidget to kick off their 4th season, hanging out around Frankie’s spot within the gardens that carries on her legacy.

I would also discover that Sally was her nickname, but her real name was Selma. She was married for nearly 70 years to Elmer. Now can’t you just picture the sweetest little couple named Elmer and Sally? Elmer passed away in 2004 leaving Sally a widow at 90 years old.

There was a gallery of photos with the obituary and what a treat it was to see Sally in her younger years, up until her 100th birthday. It gave me a sneak peek into the life of someone who touched my heart for what was truly just a short blip in time of her long life.

I find myself feeling a deeper kinship with Sally after reading about her life, married all those years, and Elmer dying only ten years before. Will this be John and me, I wonder?

At the end of her obituary it read: “Sally will always be remembered as a kind and gentle soul that exuded a zest for life.”

This was indeed the Sally I came to know. What a beautiful legacy. Simply beautiful.

My Final Visit to Libby’s House Without My Wheelie Dog Side Kick

Posted by Barbara Techel

Yesterday I made my final visit to Libby’s House, where Frankie and I were a volunteer therapy dog team for 3 ½ years.  The original plan was that it was to be my last visit with Frankie since she was retiring. But as we know, life does not always go as planned.  So off I went alone.

Let me first back up and say that the Wednesday before this, I met with the owner of Libby’s House, Christine. She couldn’t be there for the day of my last visit but had a gift for me.  She gave me the plaque above which is with one my favorite residents- Libby herself, who Libby’s House is named after and happens to be Christine’s grandmother.  This photo was taken two years ago when Libby was a mere 103.  Libby’s House also made a very generous donation to Frankie’s Wheelchair Memorial Fund.   I was, and am quite honored.

I had butterflies in my stomach as I drove to Libby’s House. I knew it would be hard to say goodbye.  Are goodbyes ever easy?  But I knew I needed to do this for the residents. They needed closure, too.  I’ve loved all my therapy dog work with Frankie, but I have to say, Libby’s House became one of my favorite.  So many became my surrogate grandparents and I grew to care and love many of them.

Being a volunteer at Libby’s House was sometimes a guessing game as to who has dementia and who has  Alzheimer’s.  And some are there for other reasons, but because of the HPPA act I was not allowed to know.  While that made me uneasy at the beginning, especially of how I should react around Alzheimer’s patients, what I took away from this experience is that they are all still human beings with hearts and souls… that they still wish to be heard and loved. And they deserve to be treated with dignity and grace.

The staff was so kind to me and many hugs were exchanged. It felt very odd being there without Frankie, but it also felt comforting.  This was a place that I enjoyed coming to each month, though it could be sad at times witnessing the decline of some of the residents or when they passed away. But it was also always my reminder that life is about living and we must enjoy each and every possible moment while here.

For the residents who could understand that Frankie is no longer here, I gave them a photo collage of Frankie.  One resident who Frankie and I always went to her room to visit, a witty, charming, wonderful 96-year old red head lady, told me that she will say hi to Frankie when she gets home.  I always told her she and Frankie were my favorite red heads and it brought a smile to my face thinking of those two meeting again someday.

Another resident who I refer to as Janice in my children’s book, Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Therapy Dog Visits Libby’s House, is one resident I will miss greatly.  She was quite gruff the first time I met her, telling me she DID NOT LIKE DOGS.  I was up for the challenge and somehow knew it was just her exterior that was tough.  She became one of my favorite residents, too and also within six months grew to love Frankie, as well.  She is quite the spitfire, and her and I so enjoyed razzing each other.

Janice was the drive behind making sure as many people as possible at Libby’s House signed a copy of my book I wrote about Libby’s House. They all wrote wonderful notes of how they loved when Frankie visited and how they will miss her.  What a treasure that book is now to me with all their notes and signatures!

I also sat with Libby who is now 105 and going as strong as ever.  She held my hand and said,” l’ll bet you really miss Frankie.” She continued to pat my hand as we chatted and I couldn’t help but think of how I felt like a young girl once again being comforted by my grandma when I hurt… and how good that felt.  One of my best memories with Libby is when she was petting Frankie and she looked up at me and said, “Frankie is love.”

Once again as I set off to visit Libby’s House,  I went with the idea that I would be helping  them and to bring them closure… and realizing as I walked out the door for the last time, that they all brought me comfort and closure, too.  And even though my dog on wheels was not rolling beside me for this visit, I felt her memories of hope, joy, and love alive and well within the hearts of all our friends at Libby’s House.