Česky
The illness of children in the pediatric intensive care unit requires long-term hospitalization, the patients' condition also requires instrumental support, and the possibilities of their natural childhood expression are significantly limited. Their needs, however, very often replicate those of healthy children, with a need for contact, play and stimuli of various kinds. The activities of the Health Clowns are not only a very welcome change to the stereotypical daily routine of our paediatric patients, but thanks to their sophisticated concept, they help them to develop, for example, psychomotor development and play through multisensory stimulation.
We very much appreciate the regularity of the visits and the individualization of the work with individual patients, which takes into account the type of disability and also the personality preferences of each child patient, which the Health Clowns keep their own documentation of. A very welcome element is music therapy, which uses not only auditory but also tactile (touch) stimuli and vibrations. It contributes, for example, to relaxing spasms of certain muscle groups and increasing awareness of one's own body schema. Although our patients' verbal communication skills are limited or completely absent, non-verbally our patients clearly express satisfaction and joy with each visit to Health Clowns. Those patients who are able to express their views using alternative methods of communication clearly confirm positive feelings and look forward to the Clowns' visits.
It should also be appreciated that the Health Clowns also work with health professionals in a very sensitive way. Working in our department is associated with a high risk of burnout syndrome among health professionals, and the workplace atmosphere is one of the key factors that may contribute to this syndrome. The health clowns in our ward try to lift the mood not only of the patients but also of the attending doctors, nurses and orderlies.
The collaboration with the Health Clowns is very friendly, yet at a highly professional level. Our paediatric intensive care unit is proof that the work of the Health Clowns is possible, necessary and technically feasible even in the specific environment of (post-)intensive care.
