SOUL at Mercy
Mercy Hospice's animal-assisted therapy program, Source of Unconditional Love (SOUL), offers terminally ill patients and their families a brief and welcome respite from their often challenging, sometimes overwhelming, daily activities.
SOUL at Mercy offers visits by four-legged volunteers and their handlers, also hospice volunteers, to hospice patients and patients in Sacramento area Mercy hospitals. Upon request, SOUL volunteers visit patients in their home, in the hospital or at the facility where they are living.
Numerous studies testify to the beneficial and therapeutic effects of animals on sick and older individuals. Research has shown that simply petting an animal can lower blood pressure and help people relax. Of course, the sheer joy and smiles that patients and caregivers experience during a SOUL visit are perhaps the most important benefits of all.
Each visit's length and activities are controlled completely by the patient. Some patients may choose to view the animal from a distance or, depending on their physical strength, the patient can opt to have it lie close enough to be stroked or brushed. The goal of the program is to improve any of the patient's four functional domains: physical, emotional, social and cognitive (awareness). Helping to change a patient's focus from discomfort to pleasure is an equally important goal.
With physician approval, any Mercy patient can request a SOUL visit. If appropriate, animal-assisted therapy can be incorporated into a patient's care plan. Staffed completely by volunteers, SOUL is free to Mercy patients.
For more information about SOUL at Mercy, call (916) 281-3900.
