CAREGIVER RESPITE ROOMS DEDICATED

Re-purposed rooms at both Carolinas HealthCare System Cleveland and Kings Mountain now offers something caregivers say can be hard to find in the bustling buildings: a little peace.

As a highlight of National Hospital Week and Nurses Week, The HealthCare Foundation of Cleveland County held a ribbon cutting with hospital leaders on new “lavender respite rooms” at Carolinas HealthCare System Cleveland and Kings Moutain. The dedicated spaces within the hospitals is designed to be a safe, quiet retreat for staff and caregivers to relax, decompress and renew when the stress of caring for patients becomes overwhelming. They are the first of its kind in Cleveland County and one of only a few within Carolinas HealthCare System facilities.

The Respite Room at CHS Cleveland features two, full-body massage chairs, soft lighting, aroma therapy and streaming videos of relaxing scenes on a flat screen television. The Respite Room at CHS Kings Mountain is similarly equipped. “Caregivers spend so much time looking out for the welfare of their patients, it’s difficult to find time to care for themselves,” said Dick Baker, Executive Director of the HealthCare Foundation of Cleveland County. “We hope this room will offer our hospital staff a place of comfort when needed most, but also to express our appreciation for their daily sacrifices, care and compassion for others,” he added.

As hospitals look to save money by maximizing efficiency, medical studies are increasingly finding value in setting aside time for workers’ emotional needs. One of the latest studies, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that hospitals with excellent nursing environments were associated with better quality, lower cost and higher value than other hospitals.