Bringing Harmony and happiness to Geer residents

NORTH CANAAN — Harmony. Her name sums up what she brings to Geer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Simple, unconditional canine affection brings greater dimension to life for residents there. For the past six years, Jill Simmons, director of recreation at Geer, has brought Harmony to work with her each day. The yellow Lab began working when she was eight weeks old, trained to interact appropriately by visiting each resident every day, as well as with staff and visitors. She is even buddies with the UPS delivery person.She recently earned a nickname: Miss June. Harmony Marshmallow Simmons was selected from more than 100 therapy dog entrants to grace that month in the 2012 Caring Canines calendar. The calendar is for sale now as a fundraiser for the American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) Foundation. The proceeds will go toward research for ways to improve the quality of life for those in long-term care.At Geer, it is obvious animals are part of that equation. Two felines, Violet and Roscoe, live at the center, and bring their particular cat charm.The caption under the calendar photo shows Harmony wearing a red bandana and lapping up affection from Geer residents Betty French, Augusta “Dolly” Taylor and Cicely Moore. It says she is the “facility’s goodwill ambassador, and she loves everyone.”Harmony rarely barks. She happily greets anyone who arrives, even other dogs. Simmons confides that Harmony is afraid of the cats.It was undoubtedly the essay written by Brooke Fehn, an administrative associate at Geer, that clinched the honor. The audition notice had come across her desk.“I immediately thought of Harmony,” Fehn said. “I was given the go-ahead to write it, and had 150 words to say who she is and what she does for us here.”Many weeks later, an email came from AMDA. Fehn hoped it would say Harmony was a finalist.“It said she was going to be on the June page!”Simmons then divulges another secret: Treats are a driving force in Harmony’s life.“We come in the second-floor entrance. I come all the way down the hall to my office, but it’s a while before Harmony makes it. She stops in each room, and visits everyone she knows who may have a cookie.”There is a nurse who only works a day or two a week, but she keeps treats on her med cart. “Harmony knows her voice,” Simmons said, “and as soon as she hears it, she heads right out to find her.”Simmons passes around special low-calorie treats for residents and staff to give.It was important that the submitted photo — they only got one chance — showed the dog interacting with humans. Tina Evans, wife of Geer’s IT director, volunteered to take the picture, and shot about 50 photos so they could come up with just the right one.Getting across the subtleties of a therapy dog’s contributions to a quiet life is not easy. Photos from around the country all have a common denominator of a happy human face or faces snuggled close. Geer was not given a particular reason why Harmony was chosen. But the folks there like to think that special part of her they all love shone through. They joke that they worry Harmony will get a “big head.” She has already been immortalized once before. During a recent renovation, residents voted unanimously to rename a unit Harmony Lane.Geer purchased a large number of calendars from AMDA that will be available for $20 each, making some profit for Geer, at the Geer Bazaar on Dec. 3.