Pet therapy makes everyone feel better.Vidas news on the animals they care for

Pet therapy offers moments of comfort and joy to patients through interaction with animals, improving their quality of life.

Pet therapy and the discovery of the beneficial contribution of the presence of animals alongside the sick has ancient origins, but it was the child psychiatrist Boris Levinson coining the term in 1964.The practice consists ofemploy pets to support care of patients, improving not only their clinical status, but above all their psychological well-being.In fact, it is proven that pet therapy improves mood, reduces stress and relieves pain sensations​​.But not only:this practice is also able to improve the well-being of healthcare personnel and guarantee better patient care.

Pet therapy at Vidas

Since 2014, pet therapy has become a fundamental component of the inpatient service offered by Vidas.Initially introduced at Casa Vidas and subsequently extended to Casa Relief Children, this therapeutic practice uses animals as mediators to improve the quality of life of patients.Thanks to the association Balance yourself, patients can benefit from four weekly pet therapy sessions, two for adults and two for children.

In Vidas, the interaction with dogs, horses and guinea pigs helps patients to distract themselves from the disease, focusing on the present and rediscovering the sense of tenderness.In fact, animals do not see patients as sick, but as people who can love them, creating moments of sweetness and serenity.

Guidelines for pet therapy

Pet therapy is aimed at everyone, not just those who have one illness or a disability.In fact, it works very well even in cases of marginality social and others personal difficulties.Generally the most suitable animals for practicing pet therapy activities are the horse, the donkey, the dog and the rabbit.“Instead of rabbits, however, we prefer to use guinea pigs with children,” explains Daniela Beretta, head of Equi-librarsi's pet therapy activities.“Being younger, they are able to have a more symbiotic approach with the patients at the Children's Relief Home, where there are many children with physical limitations for whom they would not be able to interact with – for example – a pony.But often it happens that from zero interaction with no animal these children try to make caresses, smile and send kisses to our pigs. " Each animal has its pros and can bring benefits depending on the patient to whom he approaches.“These are magical moments, because the interaction we manage to obtain through our animals leads to experiencing extraordinary emotions.”

How's it going with Tinkerbell, the real star

In Vidas, the real star of pet therapy is Trilly, one 11 year old Shetland pony, part of the “pet squad” since 2016. We told you about it already a few years ago.Trained to move in any environment, "when Trilly enters our hospices she brings a wave of joy" explains Lia Biagetti, head of hospitalization at Casa Vidas "The interaction with the pony creates amazement, because we are not in the habit of meeting such large animals in such contexts.I still remember when the daughter of a lady guest understood that her mother had not had a hallucination due to her serious health conditions:there really was a pony in the corridor!”

Encounters with animals not only offer moments of comfort and entertainment, but also encourage the creation of emotional bonds between patients and animals, which in some cases can prove very useful for unblocking a difficult situation, as Daniela Beretta explains.

"They called us one evening for an urgency, because one of the children hospitalized in Casa Relief Children did not want to eat or speak with anyone, the only thing that asked insistently was to see Trilly again." Daniela goes to Vidas even if other activities were not planned for that day and Trilly holds in the small patient's bedroom.“After spending 45 minutes playing with the pony, the child turns and says to his mother: Mom, I'm hungry.For me it was a truly magical moment.”

Pet therapy:take care of those who care

As mentioned, pet therapy is not only for patients and their families, but is part of Vidas' project to "take care of those who care", that is, the social and health personnel. “All the Casa Vidas operators try to stop by and say hello to Tinkerbell, the dogs Rosso and Wolly, the guinea pigs Socrates and Plato and play a bit with them or at least give them a caress,” says Monica Pontremoli, pet therapy coordinator in Vidas."Relieves the weight of the days, of a job that can be very tiring." Interaction with animals helps in fact create a peaceful and welcoming environment, both for those who are assisted and for those who offer that assistance, day after day, until the end.