At the hospital Villeneuve-Saint-Georgeslocated in the Paris region, was recently introduced a innovative protocol which allows patients hospitalized in intensive care to receive visits from their pets.
This initiative, which is inspired by similar experiments already underway in other French hospitals, represents an important step forward in providing a greater psychological well-being for patientsoften afflicted by long hospitalizations. The basic idea is that of relieve stress and promote recovery through the reassuring presence of their faithful four-legged friends.
The benefits of this approach are clear. Many patients experience an immediate improved mood and a sense of comfort when they can hug their dog or cat. Interacting with your pet not only raises your spirits, but it can also improve energy and strengthfundamental factors to face the healing process with greater determination.
There is a strict hygiene protocol to be respected
One of the 71-year-old patients, admitted to intensive care, described his dog’s visit as a moment of great happiness and relief, saying that it helped him find some serenity in a difficult situation. To ensure that these visits take place safely, they have been adopted strict hygiene measures.
Animals must be vaccinated, dewormed and clean before the visit and the patient’s sheets are changed immediately after the meeting. Furthermore, to avoid contact with other patients, animals enter the hospital through a separate entrance, dedicated specifically for them. These precautions are necessary to minimize the contamination risks and ensure the safety of all patients, as well as the animals themselves.
Despite the exceptional nature of these visits, healthcare professionals observe a significant change in patients after meeting their pet. This protocol is aimed primarily at patients who are hospitalized for prolonged periodsusually more than a week, and who can benefit enormously from a moment of normality and affection in an otherwise very stressful situation.
This initiative is still in the experimental phase in the Villeneuve-Saint-Georges hospital but has already been adopted in other hospitals as we have told you several times and could pave the way for a new way of understanding the care of patients in critical conditions, offering them not only advanced medical care, but also the warmth and emotional support that only a pet can give. Often, in fact, the closeness of our four-legged friends can provide more benefits than medicines.
