Heartbeat: Virtual seals named at start of programme to calm anxious patients

March 11, 2019

For those of you who haven’t heard our Paroseals have officially been named.

Introducing Snap, Crackle and Pop!

Sarah Gammidge-Jefferson, I-Proc & Procurement Systems Supervisor, picked the winning names, after Paula Gardner, Chief Nurse, ran a competition.

And it has also been revealed that a fourth – named Ron – will be joining our organisation very soon.

The seals are being used as a therapeutic intervention for people with dementia and learning disabilities on our wards.

The fluffy robot uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to learn from its surroundings and responds to its name. It likes to be petted and even wags its tail afterwards to show appreciation.

Since Heartbeat introduced the seals last month, they have been used to help calm our patients.

One of those included Gurbachan Kaur, who had been admitted to City Hospital’s D16 ward with a urinary tract infection. She had experienced episodes of confusion, leading to mood swings.

Her granddaughter, Harjit Bains, said: “My nan’s mental state has been up and down. Sometimes she has been very overactive and aggressive, wondering around at night and swearing. Her symptoms came on very suddenly and it has been very unlike her.

“However after seeing her with the Paroseal, I could see a huge difference in her. I haven’t seen her smile in three weeks and this was the first time I saw her do just that – it really made my day.

“This initiative with the seal is fantastic and I 100 per cent back it.”

Stephen Keates, Dementia Clinical Nurse Specialist, said: “I work with the dementia, delirium and distress (DDD) team. The Paroseals are a relatively new development coming out of Japan and it is an exciting opportunity to reduce the distress that patients may suffer whilst in our care.

“This was evident when we saw Mrs Kaur interact with one of the seals. She had been very hyperactive, but we introduced the Paroseal and we saw a noticeable difference in her. Her face lit up and she was smiling and drawn to the seal. She was able to derive comfort from that interaction.

“We have three seals currently. One will be based with the DDD team, the other with Donna Hawkins, an activity co-ordinator and the third will be based at Rowley Regis Hospital.”