Raggedys first check with the nurses station to find out which patients need a visit most, and which ones should not be visited. Raggedys also ask each patient if he or she would like a visit before entering. This simple gesture builds trust, gives the patient a sense of control, and sets the right tone for the rest of the interaction.

Raggedy Ann & Andy are safe characters. They don’t prod or poke, give advice, or deliver bad news. They are also non-judgmental, so people feel safe to share what is on their mind. Even small-talk can be a welcome distraction from pain, but speaking freely about the difficult emotions and issues that accompany a serious illness, is a rare opportunity – especially for patients who have no support from family and friends.

Once a week each Raggedy volunteer spends about two hours in the hospital. In that time they visit 15 – 20 patients and family members. If a nurse or a family member would like Raggedy Ann or Andy to bring some extra TLC to a patient, they can contact Adventures in Caring by phone, fax or or e-mail.

The effectiveness of the Raggedy Therapy program is dependent on two critical factors: 1) the quality of the performance of the Raggedy volunteers, and 2) the acceptance of their efforts by the staff. Quality is achieved through good screening, comprehensive training, ongoing support, and continuing education for the Raggedy volunteers. Acceptance is achieved through orientation of staff, and the consistent track record of the Raggedy volunteers.

• Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara
  
• Santa Barbara Artificial Kidney Center Santa Barbara
  
• La Cumbre Senior Living Concepts Santa Barbara
  
• Samarkand, Smith Health Center Santa Barbara
  
• Santa Barbara Convalescent Hospital Santa Barbara
  
• Santa Barbara Rehabilitation Institute Santa Barbara
  
• Valle Verde Health Care Santa Barbara
  
• Vista del Monte Health Center Santa Barbara
  
• Casa Dorinda SNF Montecito
  
• Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital Goleta
  
• Buena Vista Care Center Goleta
  
• Maravilla Senior Living Community Goleta
  
• Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Santa Ynez
  
• Lompoc Convalescent Care Center Lompoc
  
• Villa Maria Care Center Santa Maria
  

VENTURA COUNTY

• Thousands Oaks Heath Care Thousands Oaks
  
• Marriott Brighton Gardens Camarillo
  
• Camarillo Convalescent Hospital Camarillo
  
• St. Johns Pleasant Valley Hospital Camarillo
  
• Fillmore Convalescent Hospital Fillmore
  

NATIONWIDE

• Reading Hospital & Medical Center West Reading, PA
  
• Phoebe Berks Health Care Center Wernersville, PA
  
• Pine Run Community Doylestown, PA
  
• Crest Health Center, Ridgecrest Village Davenport, IA
  
• Crosslands Health Care Center Sandy, UT
  
• Desert Highlands Care Center Kingman, AZ
  
• Prescott Valley Samaritan Center Prescott, AZ
  
• Sunrise Healthcare Center Roseville, CA
  

The Raggedy Ann & Andy Patient Care Program has proven effective in:

Hospitals and Medical Centers - in the following units:

Oncology, medical-surgical, pediatric, orthopedic, neurology, maternity, dialysis, intensive care, pediatric intensive care, coronary care, subacute, and emergency departments.

• Rehabilitation Centers
  
• Skilled Nursing Facilities
  
• Alzheimer's Care Units
  
• Transitional Care Centers
  
• Assisted Living
  
• Hospice Care
  

GOALS:

• Strengthen the hospital's culture of compassionate, personalized care.
  
• Achieve a higher level of patient satisfaction: help patients feel better about their treatment and the hospital; provide encouragement and hope; and reduce disturbances caused by patients who are upset.
• Build goodwill and improve communication between the nursing staff and their patients.
  
• Respond to special requests for a visit by Raggedy Ann or Raggedy Andy, from the patient’s physician, nurse, friends or family.
  
• Make memorable, uplifting visits to patients every week, all year round.
  
• Bring comfort to the families and friends of these patients, and help them to feel at ease.
  
  

PROGRAM DETAILS:

• The fact that health care professionals can rely on Raggedy Ann & Andy volunteers to have an uplifting effect upon their patients has resulted in a growing acceptance of the Raggedys as an integral part of the health care team. Recognizing the value of loving support - physicians, nurses and social workers, regularly order special visits from Raggedy Ann & Andy for patients who are lonely, upset or depressed.
  
  
• Raggedy Ann & Andy are trademarked characters. The Adventures in Caring Foundation holds a character licensing agreement with Simon & Schuster Inc., owner of all rights to Raggedy Ann & Andy. This licensing agreement allows each participating hospital to use the Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy characters, according to certain guidelines and standards.
  
  
• The characters of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy were chosen because they best represent goodwill and unconditional love in action. Rag dolls are ideal listeners. They lift the spirit, not by entertaining, but by discovering the goodness in everyone they visit.
  
  
• After careful screening each Raggedy Ann & Andy volunteer is trained in Therapeutic Listening Care: a special method of communicating with people who are critically or chronically ill. In addition to developing strong communication skills, the thirty-hour training prepares volunteers to interact with staff, work effectively in a hospital environment, understand the psychological needs of patients, and deal with especially difficult patients.
  
  
• There is no interference with nursing operations. The Raggedy volunteers do not replace medical staff, nor do they give advice to patients. Instead, the Raggedys build goodwill between the staff and their patients. They help patients to develop a positive attitude toward their treatment.
  
  
• Raggedy Ann & Andy volunteers always ask each patient’s permission before entering their room. The entire interaction is under the patient’s control. This simple procedure builds trust, and gives the patient a sense of empowerment.
  
  
• Every Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy volunteer visits the hospital once per week for two hours. They have the time to give patients the personal attention they need. A visit from Raggedy Ann or Raggedy Andy can help a person to cope with the strong emotions that accompany an illness or an injury. When a patient feels helpless and alone, when she is afraid, angry or depressed, Raggedy Ann can help ease the emotional distress.
  

BENEFITS

The magic of the Raggedy Program is a blessing for patients, family members, staff, and the hospital.

• The hospital builds community goodwill with an instantly recognized and well-loved character. It helps the hospital meet the growing demand for high-touch care for the whole person.
  
  
• Nurses can reliably delegate the responsibility of giving patients the extra attention they need, when a nurse may not have the time to spend listening. The stress caused by "difficult" patients is diffused by the presence of a Raggedy, who builds goodwill between nurse and patient. The highly personal nature of the program boosts job satisfaction for many nurses.
  
  
• Raggedy Patient Care is one of the rare programs that provides a stimulating activity for patients regardless of their condition. The increased physical contact and personal attention stimulates new responses. Hugs, smiles and holding hands, plus listening carefully, one-on-one, bring out the best in patients who are emotionally distressed, withdrawn or confused.
  
  
• Physicians have a way to add a special touch for their patients that says “I care,” and helps to build a stronger physician-patient relationship.
  
  
• Families feel more at ease knowing that someone else will be a friend to their loved one — someone who can be there on a regular basis, especially if the family cannot visit.
  
  
• For patients the Raggedys bring hope, encouragement and joy. They ease tension, lift the spirit, and let each patient know that someone cares.
  
  
• Volunteers enrich their lives through service to others. They discover, first-hand, the difference they make in the lives of people who are ill. Volunteers see their love made visible - a feeling they never forget.
  
  

PROGRAM CONTROLS

The Foundation's Raggedy Ann & Andy visiting programs are carefully controlled, for the following reasons:

1. Legal: Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy are trademarked characters (unlike clowns and teddy bears which belong to the public domain.) Their names and likeness cannot be used without permission of the owners, Simon & Schuster, Inc. To do so would make the individual and the hospital liable for infringement of copyright law.
   Adventures in Caring Foundation has permission to use the Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy characters through its character licensing agreement with Simon & Schuster, Inc. Because of this legal responsibility the quality of the program is carefully controlled to make sure that all volunteers portray the characters authentically, only for charitable purposes, and with the high standards of behavior set out in the guidelines for the program.
   Before engaging in any publicity or promotional activities relating to Raggedy Therapy, hospitals must first have written permission from the Foundation, so that proprietary rights may be protected against infringement.
   
   
2. Medical: Visiting people who are seriously ill is a delicate matter. Great care must be taken to ensure that each Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy volunteer has the skills, information and good judgment to interact in ways that would never jeopardize a patient’s fragile health.
   Raggedy Ann & Andy volunteers are capable of visiting patients on almost every hospital unit, such as: Oncology, Cardiac Care, Pediatrics, Maternity, Neonatal, Dialysis, Orthopedic, Neurology, Surgical, even Intensive Care and the Emergency Room. The exceptions are that they do not visit: Psychiatric, Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation, or Mental Health Care units.
   
   
3. Financial: Adventures in Caring Foundation is a nonprofit, human service organization. It receives no government funding. The Raggedy Patient Care Program is funded entirely by private donations and grants from the community, and by contributions from the hospitals it serves. Even though the Program is delivered by volunteers, the Foundation’s staff commit substantial time, effort and resources to start-up and oversee the program at each hospital.
   
   
4. Individual: Not everyone can do this type of volunteer work. Age, race, gender or religion are not barriers. But it does take someone with extraordinary communication skills, commitment, and compassion - combined with thorough training - to become a successful Raggedy Ann or Raggedy Andy volunteer. Although each hospital will recruit its own volunteers, the Foundation reserves the right to determine whether these candidates are suitable for the Program.