Minor Adjustments in Hospital Visitation Bring Huge Results
The patient had been eating like a bird since yesterday afternoon, and didn't want to work on her bedside physical therapy.
The nursing staff decided to get the chaplain's thoughts on the matter.
“We can't seem to make any progress with her, can you help; do you have any suggestions?”
The chaplain stopped in, and he noticed right away that the room was dreary-dark. He asked permission and pulled the curtains back. Within an hour or so, the patient asked for water and ice chips.
Two or three hours later: “Ma'am, do you think you'd like to take a walk? I'd be happy to ask the staff to walk you around the nurse's station?”
“Well...You know, I think, I might like that...but I think I'd like to start with a wheelchair ride first.”
“Yes ma'am, wow...yes...what was I thinking. Let's start with the wheelchair.”
It's the little things, the simplicity of minor adjustments, that show the practical, specific measures of care. Maybe it's the location of a tray, the placement of the phone, the provision of a deck of cards or some flowers and a card.
The minor things can move mountains for these folks who appear to be without hope. The changes in the little things are like dynamite breaking up the despair and depression.
G. Mark Sumpter
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