Seattle Children's offers comfort, support through Nash the facility dog
Seattle Children's new hire puts the paws in positive
The staff at Seattle Children’s is used to having a life-changing impact on patients and their families, but one of the newest hires is putting the ‘paws’ in positive.
SEATTLE - Seattle Children's has welcomed its newest furry companion, Nash the facility dog.
Nash joins Seattle Children's as a helping paw, providing therapy and comfort to patients and their families.
Nash is a member of Canine Companions, a non-profit that trains and provides service dogs to people and organizations, free of charge to clients.
What we know:
Nash is the first facility dog to work at Seattle Children's, and has been providing services to patients in a variety of ways.
Whether it's distracting patients and their families going through a difficult time, or calming a child in distress with a "lap" gesture, Nash has been spreading his paw-sitive energy throughout the hospital.
"He has the ability to melt anyone, it’s hard to look at Nash and still be sad," said his handler, Tyler, who is a social worker in the inpatient rehabilitation unit at the hospital, in a statement. "He’s the best distraction for both patients and staff going through a hard time."
The golden retriever has been trained to provide care to patients through physical therapy exercises, routine activity assistance and promoting emotional well-being.
Nash allows patients to improve their fine motor skills, by taking part in physical therapy exercises like cleaning his paws, brushing his teeth and grooming his fur. Additionally, he can help patients make their beds and open doors.
Nash has been on the job for nearly two months, and will continue providing fluffy and friendly services to patients and families at Seattle Children's.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Canine Companions website and Seattle Children's social media.
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