Pastel Project final conference

 PRESS RELEASE – PASTEL PROJECT FINAL CONFERENCE 

 The exchange of best practices related to stress management of social and health care personnel to help patients live better lives as well: this is the goal of the Erasmus Pastel (Pets and Smiles to Enjoy Life) Project initiated by the Ragusa ASP in collaboration with the Polish partners of Zwierzeta Ludzom, a non-profit organization specializing in pet therapy. On Saturday, Feb. 25, starting at 9 a.m., the multimedia room in Igea Square will host the final conference, where the two approaches, Italian and Polish, involving the active involvement of patients will be presented, as well as the results of the project. 

“The objective – explains Dr. Roberta Arnone, project coordinator for the ASP iblea, – is the exchange of best practices related to improving and updating the skills of educators and staff in social and health care settings in order to better address health problems and workload and stress. The goal is for patients to heal in a comfortable and welcoming place, surrounded by a smiling and relaxed staff.” During the conference there will be a focus on the best practice presented by the Polish partners: namely, animal-assisted interventions, known as pet therapy. This is a form of activity that involves the use of animals, such as dogs or horses, to help people with physical, emotional, or social challenges. For many individuals, animals can become a source of comfort and support during difficult times. Physical benefits can also flow from pet therapy, however. For example, spending time with a therapy animal can help lower blood pressure, reduce stress levels, or relieve symptoms of anxiety or depression. 

The conference will also be an opportunity to showcase another good training practice that the Ragusa ASP has experimented with in collaboration with RF Communications, also as part of the Pastel project. It is the course entitled “With a Smile on their Lips,” in which the Polish partners also participated. “The goal- says Dr. Arnone, – is to provide social and health workers with an effective tool to be able to pursue their own well-being within the work context and, consequently, within the family context. We started from the principles of ‘Narrative Medicine’ with the aim of making it more innovative through its transformation into ‘Theater of Health.’ Theater helps us get out of our own dimension and teaches us to smile. And smiling is a key factor for well-being.” 

“The final challenge- Dr. Arnone clarifies, – will be to combine the two practices into a single training curriculum and disseminate them among as many health care professionals as possible in partner countries and in Europe, with the aim of producing a multiplier effect that aims to improve the quality of care and the lives of patients”.