After 30 years serving as a nurse in the Twin Cities metro, Janene Hodnefield and her family, including rescue dog Beau, moved to Battle Lake, Minnesota. The picturesque lake town in west central Minnesota is a great place to relax and retire.
Not one to sit around, Janene found inspiration to volunteer at the local long-term care center three years ago from a commercial.
“A little girl was in her hospital bed. The nurse opened up the door and the little girl right away said, ‘Another treatment?’ And the nurse said we’re going to try something different today. And in comes this big old dog and puts his head right on her bed. And I thought, that’s him,” Janene says pointing to Beau, her calm and often sleepy 80-pound, four-legged friend.
Beau, described by Janene as a lab mixed with boxer, beagle and dachshund, is an unbothered, quiet canine who rarely makes a sound.
“He’s been a wonderful slug. Beau has no hunting wants, no hunting capabilities. He does like to ride in the truck,” Janene says.
So, the two hopped in the truck and popped into Good Samaritan Society – Battle Lake ready to ask the administrator if they could help on a weekly basis.
“I could tell very quickly that Beau had the demeanor that he would be a huge hit with the residents,” administrator Melissa Hoffman says.
Volunteer visits positively impact residents
After volunteer orientation and pet vaccination checks, the duo has been hitting the halls at the nursing home ever since.
“They’ve made a huge impact in our residents’ lives, not just our residents but our staff’s lives also,” Melissa says. “You can tell very quickly that the momentum down the hallway picks up when Beau enters. He brings smiles to everybody’s faces, staff and residents alike.”
Activities supervisor Tammy Carlson adds, “One particular resident will absolutely smile a smile that you never see on her face unless a dog is around.”
The routine weekly visit has become highly anticipated. Janene and Beau stop by every room, volunteering roughly three to five hours every week.
“I know exactly what he’s going to do when we walk into that room,” Janene says. “He’s going to lay his head on their lap. He’s going to go up and do a cursory sniff and then he’s going to lay down and take a nap.”
While residents save dog treats for when Beau stops by, they reserve conversation and relationships for Janene.
“He’s very well behaved,” resident Cicely Johnson says and then pauses. “And she is too.”
Curt Mecklenburg visits the center twice a day to spend time with his wife Marie. The couple is grateful for the check-ins.
“She’s going to every room and giving everybody in here an opportunity to express themselves,” Curt says. “We also get encouraged because we love her and we love the dog and it makes everything better.”
Resident Terry Klemetson adds, “She’s priceless. She’s caring and she’s always in a good mood and willing to have coffee.”
'Residents feel valued and appreciated'
Caring for others comes naturally to the retired nurse.
“A lot of these people that I visit, their family are out of state,” Janene says. “They don’t have people that visit.”
Janene is finding that gap and filling it for many.
Searching through a bin of photos and letters, resident Faye Kovar is looking for a few prized possessions.
“I never took to a dog quite as much as I did Beau,” Faye admits.
After finding photos of Beau sitting in her lap, Faye couldn’t contain her excitement.
“I’m so glad they were there because I would have never, ever parted with them,” Faye says.
Janene notes Faye often shows the photos to anyone who stops by.
Bringing joy to her new friends is a perk of the job. Janene also charts her interactions for the Good Samaritan team.
“Put a little checkmark of who I’ve seen. Write down anything that may or may not be pertinent. (For example,) they seemed really sad today. They were in a good mood. They were very chatty,” Janene says about the residents.
Volunteerism is the cherry on top of what the center is providing, according to Melissa.
“That extra time is really what makes our residents feel valued and appreciated and heard and respected. That is the fun of aging. To be able to do that with a dog, what better way to enjoy your time?” Melissa says.
National Ever Forward Volunteer Champion
Janene’s enthusiasm to chip in and continue to make a difference in health care is why she’s being named the National Ever Forward Volunteer Champion for Good Samaritan.
“I nominated Janene for our Ever Forward volunteer award because of the dedication and her commitment to Battle Lake Good Sam,” Tammy says.
When the volunteer champion goes on vacation, she even gets a friend to stop by the center with Beau.
Melissa says Janene “is a shining star.”
“To have a former nurse come and volunteer their work and time here at our center, we could have never dreamed or asked of such a thing.”
Not one for the spotlight, Janene appreciates the pat on the back but she’s not pitching in for recognition.
“It was so thoughtful,” Janene says. “It’s very humbling. It’s very nice.”
In addition to the award, the center is also presenting Janene with two pieces of art: a painting and a sketch of her beloved dog Beau.
“That is so perfect. Look at that. Isn’t that gorgeous?” Janene says with emotion.
“What can you say? It’s perfect.”
