Heel to Heal: the retiree that works with dogs and docs

2-minute read

Sharon Stone had lots of plans for retirement. Getting bitten by a client at her part-time job wasn’t one of them.
After 18 years working her way up to management in the Early Childhood Intervention Services division of Texas Health and Human Services (HHS), Stone knew she shouldn’t give in to the temptation of doing nothing all day. “It would be really easy to find myself just sitting in front of the TV if I didn’t have a reason to get off the couch,” she said. “Not working full time, you also have more time to waste.”
Professional dog walking, she figured, would get her outside with the animals she loves, and bring in extra cash to support her book habit. The new gig had been going well, until she signed on a skittish dog. The first time they walked together without the owner around, the dog bit her. This wasn’t just a nip, but a bite that needed medical care pronto.
As chance would have it, Stone had just seen her primary care physician (PCP) earlier that day. She’d heard cautionary tales about insurance companies refusing to pay for two different visits to the same care provider in a 24- hour period. A quick call to her HealthSelectSM plan settled any doubts; her plan did indeed cover both appointments.
“I wanted to avoid the emergency room, so it was helpful to go back to my regular doctor without any extra charges,” she said.
Stone soon found herself visiting with other doctors for a host of new medical problems. Fortunately, all of these ailments were fake. Stone has another sideline as a standardized patient for doctor trainees. In this line of work, she follows a script as a patient with a make-believe condition to teach medical students how to do their jobs. After pretending to have anything from a leg injury to dementia to sepsis (“I was acting like I was at death’s door, and I’m sure it was freaking out the students.”), she fills out surveys to help the trainees improve their bedside manner.
“The students and the instructors take our feedback very seriously,” she said. “Unlike a dog.”
These jobs help Stone stretch her budget, another interest of hers that predates retirement. For several years she’s taken advantage of the Discount Purchase Program available to state employees and retirees. Through the program’s site, she’s saved on discount hotel rooms, movie tickets, a dishwasher and other things both useful and fun.
“It’s a benefit a lot of people forget about, but it’s a great way to save money,” she said.
Experts say that being social and feeling useful are two keys to healthy aging. With two side hustles, three book groups, a crafting club, and time devoted to family and friends (including former HHS coworkers), Stone’s got all her bases covered in this regard.
She’s also got the flexibility to pursue another passion: travel. Stone recently cleared her freelance schedule for a six-week national park tour with her husband, a fellow HHS retiree. They have other trips in the works as well.
“It’s great to be able to travel when we want, and have things going on when we’re at home,” she said. “Our benefits let us do that.”