By Kim Hilsenbeck
Helping people with memory loss is now the job of Elvis the basset hound. It’s part-time and doesn’t pay, unless you count hugs, petting and being showered with affection.
Through it all, Elvis sits quietly, his huge brown eyes and floppy ears giving him a slightly sad look. But he doesn’t seem sad, not with all the attention centered on him by residents of Orchard Park Memory Care in Kyle. With his calm demeanor and unflappable temperament, he seems well suited for the job.
The woman who brought him to visit, Garlic Creek resident Michelle Garcia, said, “He is the perfect dog.”
Just a few months ago, the basset hound wandered away from his then home in the Creekside neighborhood of Buda. Residents of Garlic Creek found him in their neck of the woods.
The community rallied, helping the original foster mom with vet expenses and food. One tenacious woman, Robyn Katz, tracked down the hound’s original people.
“She didn’t want him,” Katz said of the interaction with the woman.
So the Garcia family adopted Elvis into their family, which already included two dogs and three children.
What made her decide to bring Elvis to visit elderly residents?
She worked in a nursing home facility when she was younger and that’s partly what sparked the idea.
But mostly it was her desire to help others, especially after taking him in as a stray. His attitude and temperament seemed perfect.
“I thought he would be a great asset to a place like this,” she said. “He’s so calm, he doesn’t jump … I thought it would be a great match.”
It seems she was right.
Residents gathered around Elvis in the living area, talking with him and petting him. One woman, Marny Doyle, got down on the floor and interacted with him one on one.
She lavished kisses and hugs on the eight-year-old basset hound, who eventually laid down and turned his belly up for a rub. This elicited “oohs” and “aahs” from the tiny audience.
When Elvis arrived at the Garcia’s, he wasn’t in great shape.
The family took him to a local vet and found out he had a large tumor growing in his mouth, causing him difficulty eating. The vet removed it.
“He gained 10 pounds since they removed the tumor,” Garcia said. “He’s doing great and it wasn’t cancerous.”
The women in the living area of the facility all said they enjoy when Elvis visits.
“It makes me happy,” one woman said.
A few residents said they had dogs when they were young. Some also recalled having a dog when their own children were little.
“We encourage family to bring pets to visit,” Jason Diaz, the special care program coordinator, said. “We just want to be sure they are up to date on shots.”
He specializes in recreation therapy, which involves getting residents out and active, socializing with their neighbors.
“One benefit of having Elvis come to the Memory Care unit is they will familiarize themselves — they will reminisce about a dog they used to have,” he said.
Doyle said, “We should all be allowed to have a dog.”
Diaz said they used to have a house cat, but one of the residents kept taking her to her room and hiding her from the others.
Another resident, Edith Settles, said, “Elvis is a good dog. He loves to have his picture taken.”
Elvis took it all in from his vantage point, seemingly enjoying being lavished with attention.
A fire alarm test during his visit didn’t even phase Elvis, though the alarm was shrill and loud. As other residents then gathered in the living area. The hound had even more people to shower him with attention. Many smiles broke out on faces around the room.
Elvis took it all in stride. After all, it’s his job.
