Oakmont dementia care residents volunteer with Humane Animal Rescue Pittsburgh

Mary Brown doesn’t often participate in the programming offered at Presbyterian SeniorCare’s Woodside Place in Oakmont.

She prefers to stay in her living space at the dementia care facility or feed the squirrels outside. She has named them George and Frankie.

Something changes, though, when residents go on a field trip to Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh (HARP). For those trips, Brown is the first one on the bus, according to Raleigh Mechling, recreation therapist at Woodside Place.

Woodside Place is a residential personal care facility specializing in dementia care. In a program that began in March, residents visit HARP’s East Side campus in Pittsburgh’s Homewood West neighborhood to make enrichment toys for the animals housed there and to meet some of the furry friends up for adoption.

“Animals get a benefit and the residents do, too,” Mechling said. “A lot of people just enjoy giving back. A lot of the residents were volunteers for other organizations when they were younger, so we like to keep that going if they’re interested.”

Mechling said interacting with animals allows residents to experience sensory exercises and give them a chance to relive memories with their past pets.

While meeting the cats housed at HARP, Brown reminisced how, during her teen years, her family had cats and dogs.

“I’m glad I can give them opportunities to reminisce and be with animals,” Mechling said. “It gives them a sense of purpose, and it’s a meaningful thing to do.”

Elise Brado, volunteer manager at HARP, usually leads the residents through their volunteer activities during the field trips. On Monday, they sat at a table and filled kongs, a rubber dog toy with a hole in it, with peanut butter and dog treats.

“For any of our volunteer groups, we’ll have them do an animal tour as a thank-you for dedicating their time,” Brado said. “Plus, it’s social time for the animals. It’s enriching for the humans that are involved.”

Brado said the relationship with Woodside is one of the few collaborations that includes recurring visits that HARP has formed with surrounding organizations.

Jonathan Szish, director of corporate communications and public relations for the Presbyterian SeniorCare Network, said the residents regularly go on field trips. Last week, they visited a farmers market in Verona, he said.

“It’s a thrill to see our residents filled with so much joy and purpose and connection,” Szish said. “I think it’s a real win for our residents and Humane Animal Rescue Pittsburgh because the animals now get friends to play with.”

The residents’ love for the animals was clear. They sat with cats and played with them until it was time to leave.

“I’m coming back and taking them all home with me,” resident Deb Bush said.