German hospital uses robotic animals to pamper patients and reduce their loneliness

At first glance, the miniature cat looks like a cotton doll in the shape of a cat, until it emits an unexpected meowing, shakes the ears and turns its head to try, to the hospital, to use robotic animals to pamper and lighten their loneliness, according to German.
An elderly patient with a stroke at the Lake Volitzse Hospital, near the town of Ockermark, in northeastern Germany, marveled at the cat and loneliness. watched for a while before wiping his fur with caution.
When this electronic chat started to make his voice heard, the patient smiled and started talking to the puppet, telling him after finding that his fur was shaking: "You need a paintbrush."
Christian Brugemann, Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Neurology at the GLG General Rehabilitation Hospital, followed the scene and nodded in his favor: "The echo we found in incurable patients was really good, that it is patients with severe motor impairment or location disorders. And neurological diseases, or who can not reveal what it contains.
"Lizzie touches these patients with emotion, which makes it easier for us to communicate with patients," says Brugman. "He admits that he does not like cats on a personal level."
Janine Bilde, deputy director of the hospital's health care department, said she was convinced of the positive effects of this idea: "Animals have a positive effect, especially among the elderly, who remember often from their missing pet. "
The proximity of the robotic cat to very anxious patients makes them more relaxed, she added, highlighting her experience with an original treatment dog. He explained that live animals could not be used in some hospital areas for reasons of hygiene and sterilization, because of the high risks of contamination and infection.
Brugman explained that the toy cat was only a balloon test, but that it was the same for "Lizzy, highlighting the application of strict standards for sterilization, in particular who can not remove the fur to wash it, but that is essential if you joke with several hands ".
According to the hospital management, the price of a pet complies with these specifications and looks more original from 1,500 to 2,000 euros. "So, before you spend that money, you must first analyze the effects of the cat" Lizzy, "says Brugman, who supports the provision of such a cat. The hospital and the deputy nursing department are committed to providing maximum comfort to patients.
Nursing staff often lack the time to pay special attention to patients, said Bilde. "Since we have individual rooms in the hospital, some patients who can not leave their beds sometimes feel alone," Bilde explained. "Help keep them secret.