A lively pair of visitors made their first appointment to introduce themselves at the Frome Community Hospital in the new year.
Their cheerful disposition and waggy tails delighted the patients at their bedside during their visit on the Marshfield Ward. Molly the spaniel and Ginny the saluki were making their preliminary visit, which will now be part of a regular schedule of visits to the ward, being provided by a newly formed Frome-based organisation Dogs for Health.
Dogs for Health is an innovative project initially thought up by Jenny Hartnoll of Health Connections Mendip. Specialist dog-handler and a medical first responder, James Lewis, and health connector, Amy Wood, have developed the idea and now, with a small team of volunteers, are training amiable dogs to visit housebound people, care homes and schools where therapeutic contact with a dog is so important for health and wellbeing, as well as helping to reduce loneliness and isolation.
James says, “Where people are confined to their surroundings, because of health issues, age, disability, or are simply lonely and cannot get about, it has been proven they can benefit by having regular contact with a visit from a loving docile animal such as Molly or Ginny. Many will have been dog owners themselves, and it is a delight to see their faces light-up during our visits.
“This is the start of a formalised programme for us, with up to 10 dogs currently being assessed to join the team over the coming months. Our concentration is on home visits with our fully approved handlers.
“We must give our thanks to the Friends of Frome Hospital who have provided financial help to us to get the Dogs for Health project off the ground. All our volunteer dog-handlers are providing their own animals, so it is our aim to offer these home visits free of charge. However, we will be relying on donations to maintain the high level of accreditation that is required to provide this service. If you know someone who will benefit from a visit please contact us by email: dogsforhealth@yahoo.com “
Friends of Frome Hospital spokesman, Derek Trick said, “When it was explained to us and seeking support, the trustees realised it was not a barking mad idea, so we were delighted to support the Dogs for Health project which dovetails nicely with our community ethos – here to enhance patient care.”
Molly is four and is a live scent search dog specialising in collapsed structures and immediate area searches. She is part of an international response team deployed to disasters anywhere in the World
The Dogs for Health team will be the guests at the Friends of Frome Hospital inaugural Saturday coffee morning in the foyer of the hospital on February 1st from 10.00am to noon.
