Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat
David Dosa
2010, 225 pages
Nonfiction
Why does Oscar, one of several cats in the Alzheimer's wing at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, essentially ignore the patients and then suddenly decide to curl up with a patient on their bed? Does he have an uncanny ability to sense when a patient is at death's door?
Dr. Dosa scoffs at the idea that Oscar is special when Mary, the day shift nurse, mentions it to him. At her suggestion he interviews family members of patients who have died with Oscar at their side. He learns that Oscar not only provides comfort and companionship for the patients but also for the families who are saying goodbye to their loved ones.
As you read this book you'll learn about what families of dementia or Alzheimer's patients encounter as they watch their loved ones disappear. This is a heartwarming and sad story which is also enlightening and comforting.
For more information about the library, visit concordpubliclibrary.net.
