Danberry in the News – 11.16.09
Danberry at Inverness Welcomes Its Newest "Resident": Macy, The Loveable Service Dog.
Say the word "snuggle" at Danberry at Inverness retirement community and you will get a wonderful, furry, hug…that is, if you say it to Macy, a therapy and education dog who is charming the residents of this brand new retirement community.
Macy, an 8 ½ year-old golden retriever, spends at least three days a week at Danberry. Though Macy was fully trained and licensed as a service dog by Canine Assistants in Alpharetta, Georgia, she sustained a leg injury as a puppy and was not able to perform the heavier duties associated with service work. However, in 2003, she began a long and successful career as a therapy and education dog with her owner Christine Paige, Recreational Therapist and Resident Services Director of Danberry at Inverness. The two trained together, and Paige began to take her regularly to the skilled nursing facility where Paige was employed.
Since then, the duo has worked together in communities offering assisted living, Alzheimer’s and Dementia care, and at special summer camps. Now at Danberry at Inverness, Macy is interacting with all the residents and can perform up to 90 commands—everything from picking up a dropped remote to turning on lights to the very popular "snuggle."
"That’s our residents’ favorite," says Paige. "When I say snuggle, you gets a hug. She is just an amazing animal. She gets so excited when I put her service dog cape on her because she knows she’s going to work. She knows when someone needs help, or when they just need her to love on them. I know she loves what she does."
Paige and Macy are involved in most of the community’s activities. "I love to watch residents’ faces light up when they see her. So many aren’t able to take on the responsibility of having a pet anymore, but with Macy, they get all the benefits. When our assisted living section opens soon, she’ll spend many hours with those residents as well."
Located in Inverness on Lake Heather, Danberry at Inverness is a new senior living community for adults 55 and older with every convenience and amenity imaginable for active adults over 55, including a full complement of health & wellness services for retirement: independent living and assisted living.
For more information, call 205-443-9500 today.
