A few weeks ago Dr. Santi published in his essential blog Reflections of a tanned pediatrician, an article in which he talked about how dogs had been successfully incorporated into the treatment of hospitalized children. It's about the program Ànimalnen and it is a therapeutic service that relies on the fact that when a dog enters a room with children, there is an immediate effect: they look at him, smile at him, want to pet him, want to play with him, facilitating the creation of a relaxed environment. He Dr. Santi He recommended us to ask Francisco J. Lozano to learn more about this program, so that is what we have done in Peques and Más. We have spoken with Francis who has explained many details of this program that puts the child in contact with the dogs to facilitate an improvement in the treatment and in the recovery of hospitalized children.
Francisco Javier Lozano Olea He is a nurse specializing in Mental Health, also has a degree in Psychology and an expert in Health Resources Management and Management. He is also an expert and technician in assisted interventions with animals. Is the Ànimalnen Program Coordinator and of the functional unit of assisted interventions with animals at the Hospital Sant Joan de Déu in Barcelona. I leave you with Francis who will explain many details and characteristics of the Ànimalnen program.
What do dogs contribute to the treatment of children's disease and how did you come up with the idea of this therapy?
The basis of this project is to take advantage of the benefits of the human-animal bond (dogs in our case) that is very useful as a resource to help professionals in the emotional management of the child (fear for example) and as an element of motivation in the process of recovery. As for the idea of using it, say that this therapy has been known for a long time and that in other countries it has been applied for years. What we have done is study how they do it and apply it to our environment.
How long have you been working with this initiative and how is it working?
We have been with the project for four years, with very good results both in its effectiveness and in its own reception by professionals, patients and families. It should be noted that the success of the program is the result of a careful design in three phases and in the three years we have needed for its implementation.
For what types of therapies do you work with dogs?
Assisted interventions with dogs at the hospital level are designed so that professionals can, through interaction with the therapy animal, work on psychic, physical or social aspects of the patient and improve their quality of life.
At what ages of the children does it apply
We do not have strict age limits, although we usually set two or three years as the minimum age to work with this resource.
How do you get the experience to be positive?
For the experience to be positive, we need above all to do a good previous work of assessment and planning. To do this, we must work on the following aspects:
- Be very clear about the therapeutic objective for which we are required
- That there is consensus among all the professionals responsible for the patient
- That both the patient and his family agree
- That there are no contraindications of type of doctor
If all these issues are well resolved and clarified, we are assured of the success of the intervention.
Children from two or three years can work with this therapy
How long is the therapy a day?
The unit's business hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. And one afternoon a week from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. In general, interventions usually last approximately one hour and can be done individually or in groups.
What is the origin of the animals that participate in the therapy
The therapy dogs and the technicians that carry them belong to the company called CTAC (Center de Teràpies Assistides amb Cans), who are responsible for all necessary care and training and have a long professional career in both assistance and training.
Which dogs are best suited for therapy
The most suitable dogs are those who like their work, that is, they are sociable and they like contact with humans, play, etc. With which, it is not a matter of races, but of individuals.
How is the initiative promoted, is it public, private?
The unit since its inception has as a vision and mission the public service. As for the financing of the same, today this whole project is possible thanks to private donations.
In relation to the same issue, comment that the Ànimalnen program which aims to respond to the requests of professionals to acquire knowledge and satisfy the interest of families so that their children can do therapies when they are not admitted to the hospital.
Ànimalnen is a therapy program for children who are not admitted to the hospital
Ànimalnen born with the objective of promoting assisted interventions with animals in the areas of health and education through training actions, which will be implemented progressively. He also works on the dissemination of knowledge to the general population and offers private assistance to help children overcome a fear or phobia of dogs or acquire motor skills or improve social skills or foster positive family interaction.
In which hospital is the initiative running?
In Spain we have been the first hospital of high complexity to have a functional unit of this type. We hope that our initiative can help other professionals to replicate our experience in their centers and for this, the ànimalnen program contemplates the possibility of helping them in each of the phases.
How patients, siblings, parents, visitors, hospital staff respond to the presence of a dog with the child
The welcome has been and continues to be very good by everyone (children, families, professionals, etc.). The success is due to the fact that we take great care of all aspects related to hospital hygiene, consensus of professionals for its use, circulation of the dog by the hospital, etc. That is, all those aspects that give security and rigor to the presence of the dog in an environment as complex as our Hospital.
What happens if the child is allergic to the dog and how hygiene is managed in the Hospital
If the patient has any type of allergy related to the dog, or his immune status is delicate and access to visitors is restricted, as we discard the intervention, at least at that time. But, once the state of health improves, if we can go visit it.
Regarding hospital hygiene issues, say that veterinary criteria to be taken into account for the entry of theory dogs into the hospital are established internationally and that in our case, we also have strict protocols regarding these issues .
Anyway, say that the dog and the human do not share many diseases, which does not imply a real risk factor when transmitting diseases. Actually, it is largely a cultural factor of our association and that from the beginning we are working with love, patience and respect.
To finish a first, and that is that Francis has indicated that the Accreditation agency of the University of Barcelona He has approved a training proposal in which they have been working. It's about a Master in IAA aimed at health and education professionals. Will be 60 ECTS credits which can be obtained in a year between January and December. The course is semipresencial to facilitate that professionals from outside Catalonia can come and the best of all is that it has a module of rotation of practices in our Hospital, as well as in associated educational centers. In addition, Francis explains that all aspects related to Research and production of scientific literature, which is very necessary and above all, It is an essential requirement to normalize an activity in the scientific-academic environment.
And here the interview with Francisco Javier Lozano Olea. We thank you for all the explanations you have given us about this project that puts the focus on the recovery of children using animals as additional therapy. I wish you many successes with this initiative and we hope that it will continue to grow and help children recover from their hospital or home stay.
