ABOUT Planetree

Designing and maintaining an uncluttered environment encourages patient mobility and a sense of “safe shelter.” The design of a Planetree facility provides patients and families with spaces for both solitude and social activities, and includes libraries, kitchens, lounges, activity rooms, chapels, and gardens. Comfortable space and accommodations are provided for families to stay overnight. Healing gardens, fountains, fish tanks and waterfalls are provided to connect patients, families and staff with the relaxing, invigorating, healing, and meditative aspects of nature.

It is just as essential to create healing environments for the staff as it is for patients. Physicians, nurses and ancillary staff are very much affected by their working environment. It is very hard to help patients heal and recover in inhospitable, cold and impersonal spaces. Lounges and sacred space for staff are an important component in the creation of a healing environment.

The Importance of Both the Nutritional & Nurturing Aspects of Food
Nutrition is recognized as an integral part of health and healing essential not only for good health, but as a source of pleasure, comfort and familiarity. With all the scientific data demonstrating the role of nutrition in health and disease, health care facilities have a responsibility to be role models for delicious, healthy eating. This can be accomplished by making low-fat entree selections available in the cafeteria, as well as healthy choices in vending machines. Kitchens on the floor encourage families to prepare favorite foods or meals for their loved ones. They also serve as gathering places, much as they do in our homes, for patients and families, and thus help create spontaneous support groups.

Cooking demonstrations and classes are provided by nutritionists and volunteers. Nutrition education focuses on not only the patient’s current illness but on healthy living for the whole family. Volunteer bakers bake breads, muffins and cookies to provide “aromatherapy”, and to create a nurturing environment.

Planetree’s patient-centered model of care and consumer-sensitive healing approach is an idea whose time has truly come. In this era of health care consumerism, there is a rapidly expanding mass of educated and empowered consumers demanding more involvement in their health care. Planetree’s model delivers!

The Model’s emphasis on patient and family education is carried out through such strategies as customized information packets, collaborative care conferences and patient pathways. The open chart policy enables patients to read and write in their medical records. In the self-medication program patients who are able can keep their medications at the bedside and assume responsibility for their administration.

Planetree recognizes that the experience of illness has the potential to transform the patient. It can be a time of great personal growth for the patient as life goals and values are reevaluated, priorities are clarified, and inner resources are discovered. A variety of educational materials are made available to the patient, the family and the community through consumer-friendly health resource centers and satellite centers. The Planetree Classification System aids those in search of information as they review broad collections of medical texts and journals. Video and audio tapes, computer services and much more, support patient’s increasing hunger for information about their health and medical care.

Social support has been shown to be vital to good health. An increasing number of medical and social researchers are finding that anything that promotes a sense of love and intimacy, connection and community is healing. Planetree supports and encourages involvement of family and significant others whenever possible. The Care Partner Program provides education and training to assist family participation in the care of patients while hospitalized and at home after discharge. As part of the health care team, significant others can make a valuable contribution to the quality of the patient’s hospital experience. Volunteer care partners are available for those patients who are alone. One such program, the volunteer hand holding program, trains volunteers to accompany patients having minor surgery into the operating room to provide emotional support. Another element of the Planetree Model which assists families in being involved is unrestricted visiting hours, even in the ICU.

Planetree recognizes the vital role of spirituality in healing the whole person. Supporting patients, families and staff in connecting with their own inner resources creates a more healing environment. Chapels, gardens and meditation rooms provide opportunities for reflection and prayer, and Chaplains are seen as vital members of the health care team.

Touch is an essential way of communicating caring and is unfortunately often omitted from the clinical setting. Therapeutic full body or chair massage is available for patients, families and staff. Internship programs for massage therapists and training for volunteers to give hand and foot rubs are also available and help keep costs minimal. Families, as part of the Care Partner Program, can also be taught to give massages to loved ones while in the hospital and at home. Nurses, doctors and other staff find chair massage focusing on the neck, shoulders and back, a useful way to relieve stress and re-energize.

Music, storytellers, clowns, and funny movies create an atmosphere of serenity and playfulness in the Planetree Model. Artwork in patient rooms, treatment areas and on art carts add to the ambiance. Volunteers work with patients who would like to create their own art, while involvement from artists, musicians, poets and story tellers from the local community help to expand the boundaries of the health care facility.

Complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapy use and expenditures have increased substantially in the last decade. All data confirm this trend among consumers will continue to grow in the coming years. Some individuals choose these therapies because of dissatisfaction with conventional therapies, while others do so because they have found these health care alternatives to be more congruent with their own beliefs, values and philosophical orientations toward health and life. In either case, it is important to realize a growing number of patients are desiring treatment options which are more natural, less toxic, less invasive and holistic, to complement more conventional medical approaches.

Aromatherapy’s calming effect on agitated patients is now being used during MRI’s and with geropsychiatric patients. Pet therapy has also been successfully implemented in Planetree hospitals. A number of studies have shown that pets can have beneficial effects on health, including a lowered blood pressure, mood elevation and enhanced social interaction.

To meet the growing consumer demand for CAM therapies, Planetree affiliates have instituted heart disease reversal programs, mind/body medicine interventions such as meditation and healing guided imagery, therapeutic massage, therapeutic touch, Reiki, acupuncture, Tai Chi and yoga.

Expanding the boundaries of health care. Working with schools, senior centers, churches and other community partners, organizations are redefining health care to include the health and wellness of the larger community.