NSW Health WSLHD Safety & Quality Account 2020-21

Safe Haven peer workers team Mathew Gerts, Mitchell Farrell, Alen Earls, Aishah Mohammed, Maja Niksic

COVID-19 mental health models of care, WSLHD Mental Health Services

Older Persons Mental Health-Pet Therapy Animal visits provide comfort, entertainment, distraction, solace and a unique form of interaction in the hospital setting. For older persons in hospital with mental illness, evidence shows that it can reduce feelings of isolation, provide meaningful interactions, reduce anxiety and reduce aggression. Staff fromWestmead mental health acute unit have partnered with Delta Therapy animals to bring trained therapy animals to patients every fortnight. After some delays due to COVID-19, the program is back up and running. Consumers have found this to be a positive experience- One elderly gentleman was reduced to tears of joy remembering special times with his much-loved pet. Staff have observed increased levels of interaction from consumers when interacting with the therapy dog; quiet and withdrawn consumers often come out of their shell, talking to the dog and asking questions of the volunteer about the dog. As it is delivered in a group format, the pet therapy program also encourages interaction between consumers. This program is planned to continue for the remainder of 2022.

In 2021, many services had to innovate in order to ensure services could continue to be delivered safety to reduce the risk of COVID-19. WSLHD Mental Health Services secured $4.99 million additional funding to introduce new mental health teams to support the more vulnerable community clients during the pandemic. Supporting patients with a forensic history, homelessness, an indigenous background and the youth, these teams delivered therapeutic activities to inpatient units to improve patient stay experience. This funding also enabled virtual health facilities and improved service accessibility, and connected patients with clinicians, family and friends.

Consumer feedback

“being with the dog makes you feel happy and relaxed” “It’s a treat to spend time with the dog” “the dog just takes your mind off your worries”

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