(Pictured: Brandy the border collie with patient, Brian and his daughter, Trish)
Patients at Caterham Dene Hospital were thrilled to meet Brandy the therapy dog and her owner Lorraine when they visited patients on the ward at Caterham Dene Hospital for the first time on 17 October.
Lorraine and Brandy, who volunteer for the Pets as Therapy charity, visited patients on the ward providing affection and comfort to aid recovery and enhance emotional support.
As part of First Community’s staff health and wellbeing programme, Lorraine and Brandy had met with colleagues across various community sites over the last six months. Following the positive feedback received from staff, the natural next step was to introduce Brandy to patients on the ward.
One patient commented, “Brandy is a lovely dog, it’s been so nice having her here and it’s even made me want to get a dog when I return home!”
Pets As Therapy is a national charity that enhances the health and wellbeing of thousands of people by providing pet visits to establishments such as hospitals, schools, and care homes. The therapeutic value of human and animal interaction is now well-recognised and has documented benefits in helping to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression.
All dogs are specially trained to make sure that they have the right temperament and provide people of all ages the opportunity to stroke a friendly dog.
Prior to the visits, First Community carried out infection, prevention and control risk assessments and have guidelines in place to keep staff and patients safe.
(Pictured: Brandy the dog, owner Lorraine, volunteer from Pets as Therapy and First Community Healthcare Assistant, Mavis)
Lorraine, Pets as Therapy volunteer was delighted to meet the patients on the ward for the first time and said, “Myself and Brandy have had a fantastic morning meeting with the patients on Caterham Dene Ward.
“It was lovely to see the smiles on the patients faces and hear about the dogs they’ve previously owned. They were really interested to know more about Brandy, and it was lovely to be able to show one of the patients some photos of Brandy swimming in the sea at Devon on a recent holiday.
“It’s also been great to meet with lots of First Community colleagues at various sites across east Surrey and they have all been so welcoming.
“I’m thoroughly enjoying my visits with First Community, and I look forward to returning to Caterham Dene Ward in December to meet with more patients and staff.”
The introduction of dog therapy visits aligns with First Community’s commitment to holistic care, recognising the importance of emotional and mental wellbeing in the patient’s recovery process.
You can find out more about the Pets as Therapy charity here: https://petsastherapy.org/