The Regional Minister of Health, Manuela Garcia, has known this action that reduces pain during medical procedures and encourages the active participation of the family
The family of Milo Llopis, who was a patient in the unit and who has collaborated with the parents’ room project, explains its benefits
A welcoming and humanised environment is capable of reducing the levels of anxiety, stress and fear that are generated when admitted to an ICU, especially in the case of paediatric patients. This is the aim of the project is to humanise the new rooms of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Son Espases University Hospital. A multidisciplinary group of doctors, nurses and assistants have worked on this project to adapt the unit to the biopsychosocial needs of children and their families. Over a year, they gathered information about the needs of the children’s parents and drew up a hierarchical plan of action.
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Son Espases reduces the anxiety of patients and families in the paediatric ICU with new protocols and a reform of the environment
The Regional Minister of Health, Manuela García, attended the official inauguration of the new image of the UCIP rooms, which have been decorated with children’s themes thanks to donations from various associations and foundations. Each box has a different theme, such as the sea, the beach, the jungle, the sky, space, among others, creating a friendly and welcoming environment for children.
‘The facilities for the families of the children admitted have been improved, with the implementation of a parents’ room in the unit, to make the families’ stay more pleasant during the period of admission accompanying their child, facilitating their comfort and rest, also offering families a changing room, a bathroom and a shower,’ explained the councillor.
This project, developed by the professionals of the PICU, has been made possible thanks to the contribution of various associations and foundations, and to the family of Milo Llopis, a small patient who was admitted with a serious illness and whose family has collaborated in an outstanding way to make the project possible.
On the other hand, care focused on the well-being of children and their families has been implemented in daily care, with the involvement of all staff, enhancing human warmth and incorporating the use of comfort techniques and non-pharmacological sedation and analgesia, methods and elements of distraction, including the use of audiovisual media, music therapy, or clown therapy, among others, during medical procedures to reduce pain and anxiety of patients. The active participation of the family in the care of the child is also encouraged, facilitating their accompaniment 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This includes their participation in the child’s care, hygiene, postural changes, meals and physiotherapy.
“We would like to express our most sincere thanks to all the professionals in the PICU who have made this possible, in particular to the nurse Jorge Vallejo for fighting for this project to go ahead, as well as to the associations and foundations that have contributed to it, including ASPANOB, ASAMDIB, Pirates Adventure, Radio One Mallorca, Fundació Guillem Cifre de Colonya de Caixa d’Estalvis de Pollença, Rotary Club Palma Catedral and Rotary Club Palma Almudaina and Milo’s family. Their support has been fundamental to being able to make all these improvements”, stressed the Autonomous Coordinator of Paediatrics, Juan Carlos de Carlos, who is also the Head of Section of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Son Espases.
The inauguration was attended by representatives of the collaborating associations, as well as the company Primera Impresión, responsible for the decoration of the rooms.