For some hospital patients,
separation from their pets can be as painful and
traumatic as injury or illness itself. A program
at UI Hospitals and Clinics helps reconnect patients
with their canine and feline loved ones.
The Furry Friends pet visitation program, which
began in November 2001, allows certain patients on
approved
floors to enjoy a visit from their family companion
animals. In order to qualify, patients must be in a
room on a floor that allows pet visits or ask for special
permission. They also must have their roommate’s
consent and a letter from a veterinarian that verifies
the pet’s immunizations are up-to-date, and they
must sign a waiver that releases the hospital of liability.
The only pets allowed are dogs or cats more than 2
years old.
“It’s not exactly easy to get a pet
visit, but if families feel it’s important
to do, they’re
willing to jump through hoops to do it,” says
Ronda Drahozal, a staff nurse in the medical intensive
care unit who calls this program her “passion.”
Often, patients who are in the hospital for long
periods of time miss their pets terribly. In some
cases of
terminal illness, patients want—among their end-of-life
wishes—to spend some final time with their pets.
“Some people think of their pets as their
kids. As nurses, we felt terrible not to be able
to help carry out their
wishes,” Drahozal says. “This program is
a wonderful breakthrough, bringing pets to the bedside.”
The pet visitation program shares the Furry Friends
moniker with the certified dog visitation program,
which brings teams of trained dogs and their handlers
into the hospital to visit patients on approved floors
(See related story).
For more information on the pet visitation program,
contact Drahozal, ronda-groth@uiowa.edu, (35)6-3441,
or Deb Pettit, debra-pettit@uiowa.edu,
(38)4-6738.
by Amy Schoon |
