Weird situation this week. We have a patient in with a seizures. She and her spouse insisted that her dog was a service dog and needed to stay with her. Apparently it barks when she is about to have a seizure.
She got a private room and her husband stays with her almost always. He does leave some to get food, I'm assuming to go home and take care of some things. Not sure if he works.
Well, when he leaves, he usually takes the dog with him..????? Now he does take the dog out to potty on occassion, but both days I had this patient, he left for several hours with dog. Plus, whenever I'm in the room, the dog is with husband, not with patient????
It has barked a few times, but when we go in there, it is at people who it didn't know...dietary, housekeeping, etc.
It's a small dog - chihuahua/dauchstand mix and very well behaved. I just think the family is getting away something here. I've been told it has all of its papers, etc.
I know that pet therapy is common and that they use service dogs for more than just blindness now, but has anyone heard of this?
This is a med surg/telemetry floor. The patient is on telemetry, so if she started to have a seizure, the monitors should alert us.
I had a patient once who had a daily visitor with a service dog. She was in a wheelchair and the dog would help pull the chair, open doors, etc. They treated this dog like a service dog...as in we shouldn't pet him when he's on duty etc. This couple from this week just doesn't behave like this.
The dog isn't really doing any harm and it is cute and well behaved, but something just seems....I don't know....fishy about this.
If it is a therapy dog then they have papers. Does your supervisor know about this? Then they should ask to see the papers. If they are getting away with this it is not fair. Everybody would have their pets in the hospital. This isn't the Hilton people, no you can not place reservations and no we don't have a "pet fee" policy.
Therapy dogs are not required to have any documentation.
Even those that have gone through a certified training program are not required to carry paperwork with them. You cannot deny entrance to a facility because of a lack of documentation.
I think having an open policy for dogs would be an issue. As long as the word isn't spread around, I don't see the problem. But if everyone started bringing in pets, that may be an issue.
I have 2 dogs and they are like my children. I won't be having kids for another 6 or 7 years. The dogs have been with my husband and I through good and bad times and if I were in the hospital and may not know my fate, I would want to see my dogs. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving this earth not saying goodbye to them. If you've never experienced that kind of love connection with a pet, you wouldn't understand. But don't judge pet owners because they love their animals so much.
Most of us have some quirk(s); and when we're sick, we regress and may have exaggerated ones; and want special treatment. It can be reassuring to have a loved/loving pet with us, and that's not inappropriate. However, just as hospitals attempt to enforce some boundaries regarding visitors, the dog is a visitor, not a therapist unless the patient's doctor writes an order identifying that relationship, with some parameters.
I doubt that too many patients would want to stretch regulations, as it seems this patient has, although you haven't mentioned whether he/she stays overnight. Usually "therapy" dogs visit at nursing homes, SNFs, etc. during the day, for short periods of time with each willing patient.
Since meals are served on units, my opinion is that regulations at mealtimes, should approximate those at restaurants. That means "service" dogs need documentation and vaccination records with them, when they visit there, unless the owner and manager take responsibility for not seeing those..... .
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Humans carry more germs than dogs.
I think having an open policy for dogs would be an issue. As long as the word isn't spread around, I don't see the problem. But if everyone started bringing in pets, that may be an issue.
I have 2 dogs and they are like my children. I won't be having kids for another 6 or 7 years. The dogs have been with my husband and I through good and bad times and if I were in the hospital and may not know my fate, I would want to see my dogs. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving this earth not saying goodbye to them. If you've never experienced that kind of love connection with a pet, you wouldn't understand. But don't judge pet owners because they love their animals so much.
I posted earlier. in this thread.......I have worked at a hospital with designated pet visiting hours. The staff and patients both benifitted! There were restrictions for pedi, L/D ect. It was a wonderful experience. When I would round and peek in patients rooms to pet their pet.....was able to head off many complaints and issues before the grew! If staff was allergic they switched assignments.....I always made it clear when I interviewed that there was a pet visiting policy..........it really was grreat for all
Well of course you'd love to have your pet with you. But that's a public place and it's not appropriate.
So far it hasn't been a problem, but what if someone has allergies....
I really dislike this new sense of entitlement pet owners seem to have lately, what's with the idea that everyone should have to put up with their little "gem." You love your pet....fantastic, putting it in a purse doesn't make it appropriate in public areas.
Not only that - but if one does it, then someone else will complain they want THEIR dog there, and then someone else wants their bird and then their cat....and it will snowball.
At some point, it's going to get out of hand. Plus - surely this is some sort of public health violation...
That said, I sort of like the pet visiting hours. I have three ferrets and I know if I was sick, having Taz or Henry or Pudge come to see me for even fifteen minutes would really cheer me up.
Therapy dogs are not required to have any documentation.
Even those that have gone through a certified training program are not required to carry paperwork with them. You cannot deny entrance to a facility because of a lack of documentation.
And I've got to say there is something seriously wrong with that.
Most of us have some quirk(s); and when we're sick, we regress and may have exaggerated ones; and want special treatment. It can be reassuring to have a loved/loving pet with us, and that's not inappropriate. However, just as hospitals attempt to enforce some boundaries regarding visitors, the dog is a visitor, not a therapist unless the patient's doctor writes an order identifying that relationship, with some parameters.
I doubt that too many patients would want to stretch regulations, as it seems this patient has, although you haven't mentioned whether he/she stays overnight. Usually "therapy" dogs visit at nursing homes, SNFs, etc. during the day, for short periods of time with each willing patient.
Since meals are served on units, my opinion is that regulations at mealtimes, should approximate those at restaurants. That means "service" dogs need documentation and vaccination records with them, when they visit there, unless the owner and manager take responsibility for not seeing those..... .
Except that it's illegal to require documentation of the pet being a service dog or therapy dog.
"Look at the site that sharpei mom suggested for the rules and regs....and no.......service/companion animals do not HAVE to be registered and you may not require anyone to "show" papers. In educating oneself you gain power and peace! "
I have been associated with a dog training facility, and they do certify service animals, and advise that the paper stay with the owner at all times.
".............documentation generally may not be required as a condition for providing service to an individual accompanied by a service animal. "
"The ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government."
This Q&A resource "sharpeimom" offered, about the ADA's stand regarding service dogs, is not the law.
Service animals are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities – such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks. Service animals are working animals, not pets.
While those who insist that service animals' owners don't need to provide proof of certification for the animal, or their disability, it seems to me that it would be prudent to have that, possibly in their wallet.
If the duo stays at a hotel/motel/B&B. Those establishments have been requiring $100 to $200/night for any animal whether or not there is damage caused by them. Since that is done for every guest with an animal, it doesn't discriminate against a person with a disability...... That brings the cost of a hotel to double the amount expectedm which could be prohibitive.
I've been to several "Abilities" Expo s, and many wheelchair riding folks have been there, yet I've never seen a dog among the hundred of individuals there. That is an experience I recommend to anyone working with disabled persons. The equipment offered at the exhibits is marvelous. I particularly love the ceiling lifts!
When I worked with the Regional Center with disabled persons, in CA I tried to get them for every patient, joking that the cover of the book, "Coma" had quite an impact on me. That cover had many unconscious people suspended by ropes in a recumbent position. However the slings with ceiling lifts allow a sitting position, and navigation throughout a home or facility is achieved, similar to the way curtain dividers are suspended, or track lighting.
The computerized programs accessible to disabled people is fantastic!
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canoehead, BSN, RN
6,909 Posts
Therapy dogs are not required to have any documentation.
Even those that have gone through a certified training program are not required to carry paperwork with them. You cannot deny entrance to a facility because of a lack of documentation.