Meet the Neighbors

One of the most frightening feelings that a patient endures when he or she is checked into the hospital is the fear of loneliness. Patients with cancer, or those scheduled for surgery, may become anxious and depressed because they have just embarked upon battle by themselves. No matter how many friends and family come to visit, the internal feelings of a patient will never fully be understood. Sympathy does not bear as much weight as someone who can empathize with the same stress and fear. Therefore, I believe patients should be able to talk and share stories with other patients in the hospital. If the goal is to build a sense of community, optimism, and happiness, patients need to interact with others in similar positions.

The act of speaking about a problem is a wonderful healing method in itself; especially if the receiver is going through similar struggles. Nurses and doctors should create open-hour meet and greet sessions in which patients are introduced to the neighbors surrounding them.

I spoke previously of brilliantly decorated lounges with comfortable couches in which patients are able to escape to. If two cancer patients are able to connect, relax, and share stories in one of these living room lounges, then my vision will be a success.

An environment is not shaped solely by visual images. It is defined by the emotions exchanged through the souls of others. I have researched many aspects of this hospital project, and my belief could not be stronger that what I am fighting for is worth every effort.

The Voice of a Child

When I was in elementary school, I was a member of my school choir. I had a passion for singing and performing in front of people--thriving off of solos and spotlight performances. When I was in 6th grade, I was elected as president of the choir. I led the other "Roy Gomm Family Singers" in songs that required sign language or split harmonies. One of my jobs was to supervise and aid to the younger students when we went on field trips.

Every year, the Gomm Family Singers perform in local hotel/casinos, malls, and rest homes for the elderly. My favorite places to go were the elderly communities because the people there were so appreciative and thrilled to hear us sing. These field trips in particular, were extremely rewarding for both the tenants and the choir.

I would lead our 85 choir members into the lobby of the rest homes where we would line up in several curved rows. After we assumed our positions, my teacher tested the sound, set up microphones, adjusted the volume, and organized her music sheets. As the choir stood quietly waiting to begin, old men and women were brought to the room, mostly in wheel chairs. The looks on their tired faces were infused with life and happiness as they say the wave of children standing before them.

We sang our traditional choir songs, as well as a few oldies such as, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. In between songs and at the end of our performances, we would walk through the audience and say hello to the men and women. Feelings of pure enjoyment and love were prevalent in their eyes. Although some were unable to speak, they showed their gratitude with nonverbal facial gestures.

There is a special wonderment that one receives from the presence and voices of young children. As I look back, I am honored to have spread that feeling to a small community. In my hospital project, I want to bring the same overwhelming joy to patients. In addition to the hospital's makeover, I would like to bring in young guests to perform and interact with the patients. Of course, not all hospital patients are old and weathered; however, live performances bring happiness to people of all ages.

The performance groups will consist of elementary to high school choirs, and even some college acapella teams. Additionally, I would like to invite inspirational speakers, magicians, and other performers with special talents. There will be a performing arts theater inside the hospital where patients will get to see the shows. Special conditions will be met for more critical or immobile patients; therefore, almost everyone will get the opportunity to relieve themselves from their stresses.

(6) Optimism: The Best Prescription Medicine

The goal of this blog is to restore optimism in patients by changing the visual atmosphere and the business-like management of the hospital. In order to reinforce my belief that optimism helps fight disease, I found a study that embodies my argument.

The Credit Valley hospital in Ontario, Canada conducted an experiment on the correlation between optimism and less distressed patients. Their results were recently published in the journal of Health Psychology. Through research, the hospital has proved that "what people think and believe can affect how they feel, and can also determine who well they do." They study emphasized the fact that people have the power to change their own attitudes if they want to.

Research psychologists at Credit Valley monitored a variety of patients, all with life altering diseases. First they tracked patients who previously had heart attacks or were diagnosed with unstable angina. They found that after a year after these accidents, optimistic patients were less depressed than those who were pessimistic.

A second study involved patients who had underwent heart bypass surgery. Again, optimists recovered from surgery faster and with less complications than pessimists.

The same results were found when patients with rheumatoid arthritis, chronic back pain, and multiple sclerosis were monitored. If these patients maintained positive attitudes and believed that they were being proactive about their care, then they did better. However, the people who felt helpless and worried about their symptoms only progressed further into their unhealthy states.

This article bears much weight in my blog. If art and atmosphere makes us happy, happiness leads to optimism, and optimism results in healthier patients. The proof is undeniable.

Reference: http://www.cvh.on.ca/admin/wellness_Beliefs_and_Attitudes_Can_Affect_Your_Well_Being_and_Health.php

(5) From the Birthing Chair

I am the oldest of four girls. Alley is 18, Shelby is 14, and Gianna is 5. When my first two sisters were born I was only 2 1/2 and 6 years of age; therefore, memories of their births, if any, are few. Due to a blood type difference between my mother and her girls, Shelby and Gianna were both high-risk pregnancies. As a 6 year old, I remember sitting on a rolling hospital bed with my mother as the doctors squeezed blue Ultra Sound goo all over her tummy. Additionally, she underwent many tests which required a lot of long needles. Nevertheless, besides the goo and the shots, I do not remember very much of Shelby being born.

When my mom was pregnant with Gianna, it was the first time I got to experience and remember each phase of the pregnancy from beginning to end. I was 14 years old, turning 15, and was a freshman in high school. I can accurately depict the exact moment and place we were in when my mom first told me that she was going to have a baby. Ever since that wondrous moment, I accompanied my mother to the hospital for checkups and tests.

Throughout the 40-week period, I became very familiar with the inside of a hospital. Even though every visit was an exciting benchmark that distinguished her due date to be closer and closer, I did not look forward to these appointments. Our visits did not have a negative connotation by any means. We were not seeing a dieing patient or even someone to was severely sick. Contrarily, they symbolized new life to come, a feeling that should have evoked happiness. Nevertheless, I was overwhelmed with negative feelings due to the sad atmosphere of the hospital. The combination of smells, sounds, and visual images made me despise each checkup.

On January 2, 2004, Gianna was born. I can illustrate exactly every object in the birthing room, as well as the room's dimensions. My feelings of excitement and overwhelming joy were momentarily blanketed by a swarm of claustrophobia and disgust. I felt as though my mom was about to give birth in a closet or hallway. The room was extremely narrow and long. There was barely any standing room, especially with my the doctor, nurse, my dad, two sisters, and I. I remember finding a seat at the far back of the room by a small window. I was uneasy, nervous, and experienced much anxiety. Of course, my feelings changed when I saw my baby sister for the first time; however, the moments leading up to her birth were all but pleasant.

I had never experienced a birth before, nor do I care to experience one again. My mom was exhausted; however, after a night's rest in a stuffy room, they pushed her out and said, "So long!" The entire process of the birth was beneath my expectations. I pictured a much larger room with couches, blankets, and rocking chairs. Furthermore, the way in which the doctor worked was extremely impersonal and strictly to business. As soon as my mother was rushed in, she was rushed out. There was not any special treatment or "after-birthing room" in which she could rest and recuperate.

My goal in this project is to enlarge the hospital rooms, even if it means less total rooms in the building. Cosmetic changes are only my first stride in this project. I want to improve the bed-side manner of doctors and nurses. Hospitals should not look or be run like a business. They should not be treated like hatcheries or quarantines. Contrarily, they should look and feel like small, personable communities. Not to make the generalization that all doctors are not personable; however, there needs to be less importance placed on the paycheck and turn-around time, and more emphasis on patient comfort. If we can achieve this, we will see vast improvement in attitudes and satisfaction.

A Gallery of Art

How often have we been captivated by a particular piece of artwork as we walk down the hallway of a hospital? Better yet, can you recount any trace of creative decoration that conjured an emotional response? If so, can you recall what the piece of artwork looked like? The answers to these questions are most likely, "no"..."no"... and "no." If we decorate our homes with brilliantly colored canvases, sculptures, water fountains, furniture, and memorabilia, I am curious as to why this same decorative approach is not taken in hospitals.

Decorations provoke pleasant feelings within us. We are inspired by creativity, and feel comforted by an open room with large couches, pictures, mirrors, and plant life. The decorations we put inside of our home, office, workspace, or other personal areas are a reflection of our character. Therefore, I want to put artwork back into the hospitals. If patents have a specific piece that they would like to be displayed, I would like to create galleries that incorporate everyone's characters.

In addition to framed illustrations, paintings, and photos, I want to ad sculptures, plants, running water fountains, and lounge areas. Within each individual hospital room, I want artwork to grace the walls. To take the interior design a step further, I would like each section of the hospital to have a theme. Therefore, the decorations will follow suit. The contrasting sections of the hospital will not only make it more visually pleasing, but it will fun for whoever enters the area. Just like the Las Vegas strip with uniquely themed casinos, the hospital will be transformed.

(4) Here's to you, Noni

I am writing this blog, in part, as a remembrance of my grandmother, Elisea Pauletto. My dear grandmother, "Noni," passed away in spring of 2007 at the age of 79. Her life was plagued with a series of ailments which brought her in and out of the hospital. She received a quadruple bypass heart surgery among several other surgeries and medical interventions. I do not remember a time in my 18 years of knowing Noni that she did not have some kind of health condition. After the removal of several lymph nodes, she lived with an extremely weak immune system which made her even more susceptible to infections.

Hospital visits became a casual topic of conversation whenever my family visited my grandparents' house. My grandpa, "Papa," made trips to Kaiser Permanente part of his weekly routine. My grandma endured more blood tests, needles, and IVs than any other person I have known. Naturally, she always struggled with maintaining positivity. In fact, her hypochondria and pessimism, I believe, were the stem of many of her health issues. Not to say that my grandmother's ailments were not severe; however, the negativity only reinforced her poor health.

I loved my grandmother very much, and she cared for my sisters and I more than any other people in the world. She was always thrilled to hear our voices on the phone and wanted to know all about our recent activities. She made sure my sisters and I were overly fed--a quality defined by the Italian culture. She spoke of her love for Italy and how badly she wanted me to go back with her one day. She was the person who taught me how to knit and to enjoy the importance of a luscious garden.

I cherished the times in which my grandmother was happy and carefree. It pained me to see how the hospital setting drained her of this euphoria. The cramped rooms and dull atmosphere of the hospital were everything but inviting. When my family and I visited her in the hospital, I tried to be overly happy to compensate for the depressing feeling that lurked through curtained rooms. Nevertheless, her blissful spirit was untraceable at this point.

My grandmother passed away in a disconsolate uneasiness. I believe her time was not exhausted, and she had much more to contribute to my life and the lives of my family members. However, her story ended bleakly.

To this day, I hold the pleasant times with Noni close to me, and try to force the bad times from my memory. I resent the downcast atmosphere of the hospital that she became all-too-familiar with. I believe that my grandmother holds a special place in heaven where she is pain-free and content. For this I am thankful. Nevertheless, I want to improve the hospital settings for current and future patients like my grandmother. I have faith that a few adjustments will go a long way in the lives of many.

(3) A Simple Splash of Paint

Feeling unmotivated, anxious, stressed, or depressed? Add a little color to your life! Studies have shown that every color has a mental and psyical effect on the body and mind. Hospital walls are most oftenly colored in shades of white and gray. Although the color, white, stands for purety and mental clarity, it is not a motivating color by any means.

Kate Smith is a psychological color expert who helps coordinate swatches that are best fit for specific settings and individuals. She helps people pick appropriate colors for offices, homes, and other establishments. Smith has reasearched the effects of colors on the human body and has come up with the following results.

Reds and Oranges are stimulant colors. They promote activity and appetite, encourage confidence, and increase enthusiasm. While red is the more popular choice over orange, both of the hues exude with energy and draw attention.

Yellow symbolizes optimism and happiness. When we think of yellow, it is common to visualize bright, sunny days. Imagine how a warm, summer afternoon makes you feel. Most likely, one is lighthearted and joyous. The iconic smiley face is painted yellow for a reason--the color embodies the large smile and happiness that it stands for. On a biological level, yellow stimulates the nervous system, activates memory, and encourages communication.

Blue is the favorite of all the colors. As the color of sky and water, it has a calming, peaceful, and cooling feeling. Blues are defined by trustworthiness and dependability, just as the ocean tides go in and out.

Green is the second most popular color and is seen as soothing, relaxing, and natural. Since the color, green, graces the majority of the natural earth, it is seen as refreshing and tranquil. It helps alleviate anxiety, nervousness, and depression.

Purple is the combination of red and blue; therefore, it embodies both of their attributes. It is uplifting and stimulating, yet calm. Nevertheless, it promotes the mind to think creatively.

Brown portrays the feeling of stability and wholesomeness, as it is connected with the
stalwart and reliable image of the earth. Similar to the color green, it is natural and organic.

Now that you have been debriefed on the meanings and effects of color, take Dr. Max Lûscher's color quiz! Lûscher is a psychologist who, in the 1950's, studied color and its effect on behavior. The test has been used by professionals and career hiring staffs ever since.

Color Quiz: http://www.colorquiz.com/

In conclusion to this blog post, there is plenty of reasoning why hospitals should be painted in color. The bland walls should be stripped and replaced by mentally stimulating hues. Color experts and psychologists have confirmed these facts, and I believe that painted walls will show positive changes in patients' attitudes.

Reference:

http://www.squidoo.com/colorexpert

(2) Turn up the Music

Music has been proven to open passageways in the bran, relieve stress, promote intellectual thinking and problem solving, and improve overall health; however not all types of music can generate these results. Heavy metal, for example, may have opposite effects. For some, this type of clashing, screaming, and loud cacophony is positively stimulating; but for most, including myself, it causes nothing but anxiety and annoyance. Classical music, on the contrary, is defined by soothing, inspirational, and pleasant sounds, and has been successful in many medical studies.
The Mozart effect is a confirmed study that listening to classical music improves performance of certain types of mental tasks. Alfred A. Tomatis, an internationally known otolaryngologist, first invented the term, as he tested Mozart's music to cure a variety of disorders.

Now I'd like to take a step back and observe the negative effects of stress on the body...

When we are stress, our bodies become strained by either fatigue, irritability, lack of concentration, reduced functionality, and insomnia. Stress can also make us more susceptible to disease. The following is a list of negative effects caused by stress:

Headaches, constipation, diarrhea, lack of energy, increased frequency in asthma and arthritis flare-ups, tension, stomach cramping, stomach bloating, epidermal flare ups ore inflammation, weight fluctuation, heart problems, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes and neck pain.

How do music studies and facts about stress have any correlation with my topic? The conclusion is simple: Relieve anxiety, pressures, and stresses of hospitalized patients by turning up the music! A little overhead noise will turn a cold and scary environment into a joyous place of healing. The positive effects on healing will improve dramatically.

Let the walls come down!

In order to create a more inviting, open, and peaceful atmosphere, my vision is to gut the current layout of Saint Mary's Hospital and begin fresh. I want to make the inside of the building look as far from a hospital as possible while still maintaining health and safety standards. I will break down walls, rebuild with modern architecture, and add color, music, and artwork.

Why is Starbucks coffee house so successful in providing its customers with a feeling of comfort, coziness, and warmth? The answer: Starbucks has mastered a home living-room setting with comfy couches, light music, and artful decorations. From the moment the glass door swings open, Starbucks' customers are met with an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere that influences them to return again and again. I would like to re-create this feeling within Saint Mary's.

As I delve further into the remodeling process, I will research the effects of specific colors and sounds on an individual's psyche. Different stimuli produce different feelings. Once I hone in on appropriate combinations of sounds and images, I will know what to put inside the hospital.

Before decorating can take place, walls must come down. I have chosen to partner with Turner construction company to help with the rebuilding process. Turner is a publicly traded company which performs large construction projects across the United States. They provide the following services for their clients and investors:

Preconstruction Consulting
Program Management
Project Management
Construction Management
Design-Build
Design-Build/Finance
General Construction
Building Maintenance
Multiple Building Program

Turner offers it’s investors a reliable, successful, and well known reputation. Recent accomplishments include the new Yankee Stadium, Northern Inyo Hospital in Bishop, Calif., and a $90 million High School in Los Angeles.

Additionally, Turner has a growing portfolio of “green buildings.” This branch of the company works on designs and production methods that meet eco-friendly standards.

Turner's experience and national notoriety gives me confidence that they will make my vision a reality. Stay tuned for more about Turner and hospital reconstruction!

(1) Address to the Vice President

Dear Linda Dierks,

As Saint Mary's Vice President and energetic leader, I understand that you direct philanthropic efforts for the foundation. I am writing to you with the intent to reorganize, redecorate, and and reconstruct the hospital's cosmetic appearance in addition to the way it is run. I believe strongly in the the power of an aesthetically and psychologically pleasing atmosphere and how it affects a person's attitude. I want to add color, music, comfortable lounges, plants, and awe-striking artwork to the hospital. My vision is to transform the inner face of the boring, whitewashed, rigid rooms, to an atmosphere that is inviting and full of light. Hospitals are symbolic of sickness--a negative term that makes us feel depressed and uneasy. Coming from personal experiences, a trip down a dreary hospital hall is far from enjoyable. Many hospitalized patients already feel emotions of anxiety and overall negativity. I feel as though the current atmosphere only contributes to these feelings. If there was soft music playing, colorful surroundings, and larger rooms, I believe it would have a positive effect on patients' attitudes.

It has been proven that a person's attitude plays a large role in the healing process. Cancer patients, for example, are faced with the choice to fight with optimism or give up with defeatist attitudes. I believe that miracles are made by an individual's perception and outlook of a situation. Let us contribute to positivity by making changes from within Saint Mary's. In addition to color, furniture, and sounds, I would like to create bigger hospital rooms to rid the building of claustrophobia.

After cosmetic enhancements have been accomplished, I would like to initiate in-hospital events, games, guest appearances, and themed spirit weeks in order to gain a sense of community and life. Hospitals can not be run like businesses. We need to reestablish nurse/patient and doctor/patient relationships. Personalized care makes the patient feel safe, comforted, and content. For some people, a hospital visit may be for a few hours or a quick overnight stay; for others, it may entail weeks or months in enclosed walls. It is extremely important to make these patients feel at home, no matter how long their stay.

During rainy days, one is likely to feel unhappy and sluggish; while during warm, sunny days, one feels happy, energetic, and peaceful. Let us make every day inside Saint Mary's like a day at the beach. I hope you will join me in this effort and see the percentage of healing and medical successes increase.