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Pet Therapy Program
It's easy to imagine a child in their
yard playing with their dog, but what about a pet in their hospital
room? A pet's unconditional love and affection are strong medicine
for youngsters and provide the basis for the hospital's pet therapy
program. Each Friday, certified dogs visit room to room, providing
stimulation and motivation to help speed young patients on their
road to recovery. Pets often provide the motivation and stimulation
a child needs to get well. Just as with adults, they improve the
quality of life for children.
The dogs receive certification through Pet
Partners which is affiliated with The Delta Society. In order
to meet certification standards, dogs along with their handlers
must undergo a year or more of professional training.
Sibling Preparation
Sibling visits in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit are strongly
encouraged. To help reduce the stress and fears caused by the hospital
experience, our Child Life department is available to carry out
preparation sessions for siblings under the age of twelve. We believe
that through preparation, children are able to face uncomfortable
situations and in turn learn helpful methods of coping with fears.
Using pictures, medically adapted teaching puppets, and actual medical
equipment, our therapists work one-on-one with the children to teach
them about the hospital environment and all aspects of care being
given to their brother or sister.
TreeHouse
(Virtual Tour)
Children need more than medicine to get well. even as patients in
a hospital, children need opportunities to play and opportunities
for continued growth and development. We accomplish this with our
hospital's TreeHouse. The TreeHouse is a pediatric playroom located
on the fifth floor of the USA Children's and Women's Hospital. This
playroom is available to all children of all ages seven days a week
who are not on isolation precautions. This playroom is a "SAFE
PLACE" where no medical procedures are able to take place.
Doctors and nurses can come and play with the pediatric patients,
but they can do nothing that might frighten the children.
In this area of the hospital there are toys, arts and crafts, movies
available for check-out, a STARBRIGHT
WORLD computer, and videogames. Medical play is also carried
out in this area so children are given opportunities to work through
their hospital experience and learn about medical care. We strongly
encourage family involvement in the hospital experience so sibling
visits to the TreeHouse are greatly encouraged. This gives the brothers
and sisters opportunities to learn about the hospital as well.
University
of South Alabama Children's and Women's Hospital
1700 Center Street, Mobile, AL, 36604-3391
Phone: (251) 415-1000 | Fax: (251) 415-1255
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