PATIENTS and staff at Evesham Community Hospital have welcomed Maisie, a therapy dog to help boost their health and wellbeing.
Evesham Community Hospital, the home of the Worcestershire Stroke Rehabilitation Centre provides a range of specialist therapy and support for patients recovering from a major stroke.
Maisie and owner Karen have started visiting the hospital each week, spending time on the wards with patients whilst they stroke Maisie and feed her treats.
Family members of patients have described Maisie as “a great companion, particularly if someone has a dog at home”.
In addition Maisie’s presence is “good for everybody’s wellbeing”.
Maisie’s owner Karen said:
“Quite often this is therapy for staff as much as it is for patients and when walking round you can see everyone loves her.
“This is my first placement, and I have a background in healthcare as a physiotherapist, so I really wanted to bring her to a rehabilitation or stroke unit.
“This hospital is brilliant and I’m hoping Maisie can not only bring a smile to the patients’ faces but also help them to get better”.
Therapy Dogs Nationwide is a charity where volunteers take their own dogs into establishments to provide comfort, distraction, and stimulation.
Dogs are temperament assessed for their roles.
