To help set up the program, Souza turned to B.J. Grosvenor, a recreation therapist on the hospital's skilled nursing unit, who had seen the benefits of this therapy at Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System. With the support of Grosvenor and Colette Case, who had started a similar program four years ago as director of recreation therapy at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, PAWS sponsored its first pet visit this past March. Although the Stanford program currently operates only on the geriatric psychiatry unit, Souza said she hopes to expand it to other units. It's all about making hospitalization more pleasant, explained Grosvenor. PAWS complements the massage therapy, art therapy and music programs already developed by the Office of Community and Patient Relations, she said.
Animals are so nonjudgmental.
They are just there. They just love you. Regarded as a casual recreational activity only a decade ago, animal-assisted therapy is today a respected therapeutic intervention. Holding, petting and simple grooming tasks can enhance motor skills lost through injury, disease or the aging process, said Dianna Harrison, a recreation therapist on Stanford's skilled nursing unit. In addition, pet interaction decreases anxiety levels, increases self-esteem and reduces blood pressure, she said.