Ohio: Union County nonprofit, Hospets, provides pet care services for homebound seniors

OHIO -- Nestled in her master's lap, Lacey the Shih Tzu squirmed a bit before her nails were clipped.

"Give her a belly rub," said Lisa Zimmerman, who kneeled next to Walter Terpstra, the dog's owner, as the animal awaited a routine grooming. "She does better when she's getting her belly rubbed."

"Good puppy," whispered Terpstra, 75, while his pet of 11 years received a trim and, thanks to Zimmerman's steady hand, also had some matted fur cut from a pint-sized paw.

The visit last week found Zimmerman checking in not only on the pup, for whom she left a large bag of dog food, but also the Terpstras.

Photo: Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch
Walter Terpstra holds Lacey, the family dog, as Hospets
volunteer Lisa Zimmerman trims Lacey's nails. In the
background, Terpstra's wife, Linda, watches.

Walter and his wife, Linda, struggle with dementia and mobility issues, respectively. Money to care for Lacey is no longer in their limited budget.

Still, "if it wasn't for her to keep us going, we would be lost," said Mrs. Terpstra, 65. "She's a big part of our family."

Another big element of their well-being is Zimmerman — whose Marysville-based nonprofit, Hospets, assists low-income Union County seniors with pet food, supplies, medication and, in some cases, shuttling the creatures out for veterinary care.

Beyond keeping tabs on Lacey once a month, the soft-spoken Zimmerman inquires about the Terpstras' health and needs. She recently helped Linda obtain a secondhand walker when finances prohibited the purchase. In November, she took them out for Thanksgiving dinner.

"I knew I was going to get attached to the animals, but I had no idea I was going to get so attached to the people," said Zimmerman, 49, a retired information-technology worker who founded Hospets in 2011 after her father died.

Inspiration came from one of her father's hospice nurses who lamented that some terminally-ill patients had no other options or written plan of action for their pets' welfare when their own health had declined.

Zimmerman, a longtime dog-rescue foster mom, wanted to make an impact with aging folks who still had time to plan but might otherwise need help in caring for furry friends. She filed paperwork to launch the nonprofit and pitched her services to various organizations in Union County.

The need certainly exists, said Beth Richmond, coordinator of the mobile-meals program funded by Memorial Health — which has since delivered Hospets literature to its existing clientele for referrals.

Said Richmond: "There are some people that were feeding our mobile meals to their pets."

She praised the arrival of Hospets as a "wonderful" service that "opens up a door not only to take care of themselves, but also their pet."

With a dozen volunteers serving about 200 animals monthly, the group also keeps watch for situations that might suggest animal neglect. Zimmerman also offers assistance in completing power-of-attorney forms regarding future pet care.

Photo: Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch
Lisa Zimmerman delivers dog food.

Nonetheless, she and her colleagues understand the importance of helping clients hang on to their animals for as long as it is feasible.

Dr. Kevin Henzel, an internal-medicine physician for Memorial Health, likewise praised the benefits that animals offer to the elderly.

"It can lower blood pressure; anxiety levels decrease; it can even lower cholesterol," said Henzel, who cited an aging patient of his who fought through "the loneliness factor"by adopting a dog ("I was seeing some joy on their face for the first time in years.")

The sentiment resonates with Dorothy Fickle, 88, who relies on Hospets volunteers to stop by her Marysville home twice daily to administer thyroid medicine to her 12-year-old cat, Rosie.

Photo: Eric Albrecht, The Columbus Dispatch
Hospets volunteer Lisa Zimmerman gives medicine to
Rosie as owner Dorothy Fickle provides comfort to her kitty.

The bond of the pair runs deep. The animal curls up next to her owner's head each night on an adjacent bed pillow. And they spend most days together in the kitchen to watch squirrels and birds feeding outside the window.

A Hospets visit can be just as valuable to human recipients, particularly those without a spouse or relatives nearby.

"Just coming over gives them an opportunity to speak to somebody," Zimmerman said. "That’s a life-saver in itself."

Fickle, too, said she enjoys the scheduled Hospets contact: "It's just nice to talk to another human being."

Before leaving, as always, Zimmerman reminded Fickle to take her own medication.

With some of its services extending to people in Franklin County, Hospets needs volunteers. Some potential recipients, as such, are turned away because of staffing issues. Grant money and fundraisers keep the group going.

Helping Seniors and Their Pets
Hospets recently assisted Sandra Stanley and Bebe by providing vaccines,
flea and tick prevention and transportation to the vet and to the groomer.
After Sandra’s passing, Hospets found a new loving home for Bebe.

Its latest effort marks a step forward: a 950-square-foot Hospets kennel in Marysville that will facilitate short-term boarding for dogs and cats when an existing client is hospitalized or facing a crisis. (Zimmerman and some volunteers also foster animals when needed.)

Set to open in March, it will be the first such targeted facility in the nation, said Zimmerman — who views the milestone as a fitting way to mark her charity's five-year anniversary of sustaining vital companionship for a population that needs it most.

"We’re doing a lot more than I dreamed we would ever be able to do," she said. "I'm thrilled."

(Columbus Dispatch - Jan 26, 2016)

Related:

• Helping Seniors and Their Pets