A much-loved animal therapy session has been credited with improving mental health for patients hospitalised for weeks or even months at a Middlesbrough hospital, thanks to fundraising from a local home care company.
Patients at the Golden Jubilee Regional Spinal Cord Injuries Centre at The James Cook University Hospital often require lengthy periods of treatment and rehabilitation. Some of them face limited mobility which prevents them from leaving the unit, leaving them feeling isolated and disconnected from everyday life.
But spinal patients have been able to make new four-legged friends from the comfort of the spinal injuries unit garden, thanks to generous funding from Caremark Redcar and Cleveland, via its dog-assisted therapy service.
The care provider has funded ten free dog therapy sessions for spinal injury patients at the unit, who have praised the friendly canine visitors for improving their mental health and having a positive impact on their care.
One of them is Rebecca Garnett, 37, who has been in the unit for weeks due to her medical spinal injury. She said: “The dog therapy sessions have been pretty great and have had a positive impact on me.”
According to recent studies, animal-assisted therapies have been shown to help alleviate anxiety, reduce stress and provide a calming effect on the nervous system through the release of oxytocin.
Miles Woolfenden, a student physiotherapist from Teesside University, saw first-hand the smiles that the dogs have brought to patients. He said: “It’s lovely for the patients to have that interaction with the dogs.”
Elizabeth Donlan, 54, has been in hospital for eight weeks after suffering an infection in her spine and says she was delighted with her interaction with Kyro, crediting the session with improving her mental health.
Spinal HDU manager Lyndsay Wilson said:
Our patients can be admitted into the spinal HDU and rehabilitation ward for several months, with life-changing spinal cord injuries. Therapy dogs have the power to lift spirits and make people smile, including staff! We all love the dogs. Within dog therapy sessions, patients find comfort, motivation, and connection, as well as improved psychological wellbeing. Thank you to Caremark for raising this money for the sessions and being part of our patients' recovery and rehabilitation."
Michelle Jackson, managing director of Caremark Redcar and Cleveland, said: “We are delighted to support the dog therapy sessions at the Golden Jubilee Regional Spinal Cord Injuries Centre and to see the difference they are making to patients’ wellbeing.
“Spending time with the dogs can bring comfort, companionship and a welcome boost during what can be a very difficult period of recovery, and we are proud to play a small part in helping patients feel more connected and supported.”
