Source: The News-Enterprise
PUPS CARE. A $32,500 contribution from the Hardin Memorial Health Foundation to start a pet therapy program at the hospital will go a long way toward helping patients thanks to comfort provided by a loving dog.
Providing Unconditional Patient Support, or PUPS, will be a positive in the HMH patient experience.
Hospital chaplain Jessica Jasper said studies show patients who interact with therapy animals experience reduced pain, anxiety, blood pressure and a lower heart rate.
“Animal-assisted therapy is a guided interaction between a person and a trained animal to help patients recover from or better cope with health problems, such as pain, heart disease, cancer, dementia and mental health disorders,” she said.
In a trying time, the affection of a loving dog will be a comfort to the patient and their families.
