Practice Tips: Your online library of how-to guidance for operational systems and procedures
Risk Management » Practice Tips
February 2010
Therapy Dog Programs
Program Benefits:
- Improved patient/resident comfort
- Increased patient/resident emotional well-being
- Improved patient/resident quality of life
Risk Management Strategies:
- Provide a well structured Therapy Dog Program with appropriate policies and procedures. View MMIC’s Sample Therapy Dog Program Policy and Procedure Outline.
- Allow only volunteer therapy dog teams that have met the healthcare facilities Therapy Dog Program requirements on patient and resident floors for visitations.
- Develop a separate policy for pet visitations other than those established through the Therapy Dog Program.
- Require the therapy dog team to wear appropriate identification.
- Require the therapy dog team to sign in when reporting to the facility and sign out when leaving the facility.
- Verify all health certifications are current.
- Verify all liability certificates are current.
- Require staff, volunteers and patients wash their hands after contact with the therapy dog.
- Cover all patient wounds during the therapy dog visit.
- Define, through the Infection Control Committee, areas where the therapy dog team is permitted to visit.
- Identify high risk patients who would not be eligible for a therapy dog visit.
- Remove any food or medication that may be in reach of the therapy dog.
- Cover hazardous items and soiled or contaminated waste.
- Develop a clean up process for any therapy dog “accidents.”
- Educate staff and volunteer handlers regarding any specific patient care and safety issues that need to be considered during the therapy dog visit.
- Notify risk management of any incidents involving the volunteer therapy dog team.
Components of a well structured Therapy Dog Program include:
- Identification of an oversight department
- Policies and Procedures specific to the Therapy Dog Program
- Orientation and Training
- Certified Therapy Dogs
- Trained Volunteer Handlers
- Annual Review and Performance Improvement Monitoring
- Verification of Liability Insurance Coverage
- What Information will be provided to the public regarding the availability of the Therapy Dog Program
Resources for National Therapy Dog Organizations and Registries:
- Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs, Inc. www.pet-therapist.com
- Therapy Dogs, Inc. www.therapydogs.com
- Therapy Dogs International www.tdi.org
Medical Mutual's "Practice Tips" are offered as reference information only and are not intended to establish practice standards or serve as legal advice. MMIC recommends you obtain a legal opinion from a qualified attorney for any specific application to your practice.