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Find out why going the extra mile with end-of-life care can help improve your bottom line
Compassion Understood will be attending the SPVS/VPMA congress on the 26th - 28th January at Celtic Manor Resort, Newport. With an increasing number of practices putting pet loss at the forefront of client care, visitors to the stand can find out why going the extra mile with end-of-life care can help decrease client attrition following the loss of a pet.
Four veterinary practices have recently put pet loss support at the top of their priorities, and become platinum-accredited following the successful completion of the Compassion Understood end-of-life care training course.
Among them is Vets4Pets Bradford, where the whole practice team embraced the challenge and successfully completed the specialist training course. Practice manager, Karen Wood, reflects on the experience,
“All our staff found this course useful and it made us all think more from a client’s situation. Although we have always tried to do this in the past, the information provided really helped us consider how the client may be thinking and feeling at what is an extremely difficult time.
“We are currently considering turning one of our consultation rooms into a room specifically for owners to wait with their pets away from the waiting room, and then saying their final farewells. We are trying to make this as comforting as possible.
“One of the team bought an electronic candle and designed a sign that we now display on our reception desk to let other clients present know that someone is saying goodbye to their pet. We have found this has a wonderful effect and the other clients are very respectful while waiting for their own appointments.”
Compassion Understood hopes that other practices will become inspired by the difference that the training has made to the Vets4Pets Bradford team.
Losing a pet is a devastating time for any pet owner and can also have a significant financial impact on a practice. A recent survey revealed that up to 19% of pet owners do not return to the same practice following the loss of their petą. Some of these are clients battling with painful memories, who cannot face returning to the place they lost their pet. Research shows that the experience within the vet practice can make or break the client’s experience of loss. ˛ It is possible to make that experience a better one. By providing compassionate support through the end of life journey, practices can help to ensure that a client will naturally come back to them when they feel ready to take on a new pet.
For attendees of SPVS/VPMA congress, Compassion Understood will be giving one lucky person the opportunity to win training for their practice*. With modules for the clinical and front-of-house teams, the training can be tailored to fit the practice’s own needs.
Don’t forget to drop by and speak to the Compassion Understood team at the SPVS/VPMA congress on the 26th-28th January, and find out how you can improve your approach to end-of-life care and increase retention of your clients.
For more information on Compassion Understood visit www.compassionunderstood.com
- Compassion Understood Pet Owner Research. On file.
- Adams CL, Bonnett BN, Meek AH. Owner response to companion animal death: development of a theory and practical implications. Can Vet J. 1999; 40(1): 33-39
Photo: A recent photo of the team at Vets4Pets Bradford, which gained Compassion Understood platinum accreditation.
*Winning training for members of the team at one clinic or branch.