HIPPO
ENERGY
Smile and relief for hospitalized children
PROJECT .
REFERENT
The “Hippo-Energy” project kicked off with the installation, at the Isola Margherita ward of the Regina Margherita Children's Hospital in Turin, of an aquarium containing dozens of African cichlid fish, the same fish found in the Hippo Underwater habitat tank at Zoom Biopark, where the family of hippos can also be seen underwater.
Hospitalization, especially in prolonged care pathways, can pose significant emotional challenges for patients, causing feelings of distress, fear and anger. These experiences can amplify stress and negatively affect their overall well-being.
The project aims to bring nature to all those who cannot access it, such as hospitalized children, by offering them distracting moments and enriching experiences that are as normal as possible during their hospital stay.
The project's evidence-based approach harnesses the therapeutic benefits of nature and animals to strengthen emotional resilience, promote psychological well-being, and improve patients' hospital experience overall.
ACTIVITIES IN PROGRESS.
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Livestreams with the park, during which children can discover the park's
animals by following live stories from Zoom keepers in different habitats. -
Guided tours and activities inside the Biopark (for patients off therapy or whose health conditions allowed).
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Experiential notebook made at the end of 2022 delivered during activities in
presence held at UGI House and at the Isola Margherita ward of Regina Margherita Hospital. The activities accompanying reading, are carried out together with Regina Margherita psychologists and are aimed at exploring internal emotional aspects through confrontation with the animal world and are part of a study that aims to investigate the benefits of such activities. Joy, sadness, anger, fear, disgust and surprise, which are our primary emotions, are the common thread, since it is around them that we create our inner world through which we can relate to ourselves and others. The confrontation with the animal world allows children to more easily express thoughts, desires and fears, which will allow the proposed activities to become increasingly effective and useful. This research work was created with the aim and opportunity to be able to replicate it in other hospitals, pediatric and otherwise.
FUTURE ACTIVITIES.
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Digitization of the experiential notebook: use in a digital format, with video elements, for IPAD-TABLET, with Avatar as an interactive guide (digitization would simplify its use for children and data collection due to greater immediacy).
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Transformation of hospital environments into immersive spaces combining
realistic murals with interactive VR experiences. -
Realization of both visual and acoustic experiential and immersive content to
enhance the feeling of being in a natural environment, adapting experiences to patient preferences and designed for different age groups -
Collaboration with healthcare staff to integrate ZooVR into programs therapeutic
PARTNERS.
