The first annual Hospitality Pets Social was hosted by the WakeMed Health & Hospital departments of Volunteer Services Raleigh and Cary Campuses. The event was held Saturday, April 22, at Millbrook Exchange Park. Volunteers and their four legged canine companions joined together to celebrated 11 years of service by participating in events that included: Best Trick, a Costume Race, Musical Sit, Shared Story Time, and, of course, the coveted Golden Hydrant Award.
In 1995, when the Hospitality Pets program was implemented, approximately 881 patients were visited at the Raleigh Campus. In 2005, the program grew to 21 teams who shared their warm fuzzy interaction skills with over 4,050 patients. As of June 2006, HPP is still growing in leaps and bounds: 21 teams visit at the WakeMed Raleigh Campus, 3 teams at WakeMed Cary Hospital, 3 teams at the Fuquay Skilled Care Nursing Facility, and 1 team at the Zebulon Skilled Care Nursing Facility. A total of 28 teams!
Areas visited include: Raleigh Campus- Adult Intensive Care Units, Pediatric Intensive Care, Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Gyms, Observation Units, Patient Care Floors (3A, 5A, 6A); Cary Campus- 1A and 2A; and Zebulon/Fuquay Skilled Care Nursing Facilities.
Before joining the program, volunteer vets screen the dogs to be sure the animals are in good health, and to determine if they have suitable temperaments. The owners are screened through the same processes as all adult volunteers. The team then receives on site training from the manager of Volunteer Services.
Once the teams have passed the initial screening, they are scheduled to come in for about two hours each week. The dogs even have their own name badges. Each dog is re-screened every 6 months. Visits are by physician and nurse referral. Of course, if the patient does not want a visit, they do not have to have a visit.
Patients will often interact with our dogs when they won�t interact with health care professionals or their own families. In certain situations, the dogs are allowed to get into bed with the patients.
The dogs increase the sense of well being of a patient. Studies show that the presence of a pet helps people lower blood pressure, contributes to stress reduction and offers many other benefits. Visits are beneficial to our families and the staff as well.
