Ollie aids recovery
Like many occupational therapists Kerry Mckiernan works with stroke patients but her different – and animal-centric – approach sets her apart. For the past few months, she’s been joined on the ward by her chocolate labrador Ollie, an animal-assistance dog trained to work with those recovering from a stroke. ‘‘When someone’s had a stroke it can affect many different things, the physical and the cognitive, so as an occupational therapist I look at how those things impact someone’s functional tasks like getting dressed and going to work. Mckiernan said. ‘‘With Ollie, we’ll work on a particular thing that has been caused by the stroke, something like poor co-ordination.’’ One of Mckiernan’s patients at Hutt Hospital, Hapeti Pringle, was a swift convert, having had experience with dogs as well as a desire to give her all to rehabilitation. ‘‘I don’t even realise I’m doing it ... it goes so fast and you fall in love with him [Ollie] so quickly,’’ Pringle said. ‘‘He makes my day when he comes in.’’ During a typical session with Pringle, Mckiernan would outline a specific goal, or goals, to work on, using Ollie to help facilitate the necessary movements. ‘‘What we get her to do is lean over and stroke Ollie, brush him and put treats down. ‘‘What that is doing is building up that confidence ... and from there we are able to move on to tasks like putting shoes on.’’ The pilot scheme at Hutt Hospital is one of the first to have been undertaken in New Zealand, with Mckiernan’s aim to see similar programmes established elsewhere. The Stroke Foundation is holding its annual Big Blood Pressure Check today with free checks at participating Pak’n Save and New World supermarkets.