This is off topic but I was just wondering if anyone has been in or had a loved one in a hospital that was using the planetree model. My dad is in the hospital recovering from knee surgery and his hospital is new and they built it using this model. I have to say it is a beautiful hospital and the rooms are very comfortable for the patient and family. All the rooms are private with their own bathrooms and they each have a recliner and a couch that pulls open into a bed for any family member who wishes to stay overnight, flat screen tvs, no set visiting hours and allow as many visitors as you wish since there is no roommate to bother.
Mealtimes are not on the hospital's schedule but the patients. You push a button on your phone called "room service" and order your meals from the menu and let them know when you wish to eat. You can order your meals anytime between 6:30am and 6:30pm. Visitors can also order a meal to eat with their loved one (for a charge). My mom used this service today and had lunch with my dad.
My dad has said he is much more relaxed and sleeping much better during this hospital stay than any other he has had. Plus it is so much more comfortable to visit with him. I think this type of room would be great for someone with dementia who needed a family member to stay with them.
WOW Deb, sounds more like a hotel than a hospital! But for as much as you pay per day for a hospital stay you might as well have all that you mentioned, not to mention that if a family member is alowed to stay 24/7 they will probably do things for their LO that the nurses or aids normally do (but I'm sure that it won't decrease the bill!)
Deb, my DH had a recent hospital stay due to aspiration pneumonia. He was in a typical two-bed room, but the meals were very similar to those at the hospital your father is in. The patient can order anytime from 6:30 am-6:30 pm and "guest meals" are also available. Due to DH's dementia (FTD) I requested that a family member be allowed to stay 24/7 so he would know there was someone there at all times so he wouldn't be afraid and that we could assist should he become uncooperative. The head nurse agreed and even arranged to have the guest meals delivered at no charge. The accomodations for the family were certainly not as good as your father's hospital-I slept in a recliner next to DH's bed and DH's 24/7 aide did too until finally he decided to sleep in the other hospital bed. We advised the staff that one of us would be sleeping in the other bed and they were very accomodating. I think the nursing staff was grateful that one of us was there at all times-of course it meant less work from them. Inerestingly when our private aide (male) was staying with DH, the staff let him do all the hard work-bathing, bathroom, changing DH's gown, etc.
I didn't know that's what it's called, but I've stayed in a hospital like that--LOVELY! We have two new hospitals in the largest city close to us (Lafayette, IN) and both are this "style." The local hospital my hb was in last week is the "old" kind. Definitely not so comfy. I was welcome to stay overnight, but not even a recliner--a webbed chair w/headrest. Feet on the floor.
I asked about the cost to hospital of menu ordering when/what a patient and/or guest wanted. Staff said it's less expensive because there's little waste as people order what they want when they want it. # of kitchen staff the same or less because usage is spread out during the day. Visiting policy makes everyone happy and relaxed.
The hospital is Elmhurst Memorial Hospital in Elmhurst, IL. The original building is still open and is now used for transitional care, cancer treatments and urgent care. They moved everything else over to the new building in June.
We were teasing my dad today that when they move him to rehab (transitional care) on Tuesday, it's going to be a big letdown after having this room. The rooms in the old hospital are tiny, tiny, tiny and shared. He's going to ask for a private room but probably won't get one. The rehab is run by an outside company.
When Arlington Memorial Hospital in Arlington, TX built their new addition a year or so ago, all the rooms are private and they converted the "old" section is now transitional care, etc. I don't know about the food ordering as we haven't been there since Claude passed. Another small hospital in town does have this plan. The rooms even have a mini fridge. A friend's hubby was in there for several days and she stayed 24/7. She said the couch made into a comfortable bed for her and she brought salad makings for herself and utilized the fridge, instead of cafeteria food all the time.