Salt Lake City-based Bristol Hospice has developed a branded program designed to help their patients get better sleep, which can significantly impact quality of life.
Sleep disturbance, including insomnia and other disorders, is a common problem among the terminally ill. Poor sleep can exacerbate a range of chronic illnesses and intensify symptoms such as pain, depression and anxiety, a study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found. Likewise, insufficient management of those symptoms can in turn cause sleep issues.
To address this issue, Bristol unveiled its Sweet Dreams program. Thus far, the program has helped the company not only improve care for patients, but also attract referrals and aid in recruitment and retention, Bristol’s Chief Clinical Officer Melissa Broadway said in a panel discussion at the Home Care 100 Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“This program has actually helped us not only recruit talent, but also retain talent, because nurses, clinicians want to take good care of patients and families,” Broadway said. “I can honestly say this program was the deciding factor for me in choosing to come to work for Bristol. We find incredible feedback, and it has helped us grow our business.”
Bristol Hospice, which is backed by the private equity firm Webster Equity Partners, employs more than 3,000 staff in close to 80 locations across 18 states. The company’s current average daily census hovers around 6,000 patients.
The Sweet Dreams program offers patient and family education and services around the issue of sleep.
Through the program, patients receive a reflexology massage of the hands and feet. This has been shown to improve sleep and relaxation, according to 2020 research in the Japan Journal of Nursing Science.
Sweet Dreams also involves the development of a personalized evening bedtime ritual; aroma therapy; sound or music therapy; warm, sometimes weighted blankets, and other activities to promote comfort such as low lighting, soft music or soothing conversations.
Bristol hires specific aides who receive training aligned with the Sweet Dreams program. Offering these sleep-related services is their primary job responsibility, and they generally work from 2pm to 10pm, according to Broadway.
In addition to Sweet Dreams, Bristol has developed specialized programs to enhance care coordination with skilled nursing facilities and a set of dementia-focused services branded as Bright Moments.
Establishing specialized programs like these comes with challenges, including logistics, ensuring sufficient staffing and training, as well as some outlay of capital to get it up and running.
“It’s hard to implement these programs. They are a financial commitment. They are a commitment on staffing,” Broadway said at the conference. “But we as a company are absolutely committed to it because it’s the right thing to do. They are essentially beautiful programs, which provide wonderful care for patients and families. But number two, they’re a differentiator in the market, and they help us grow our business.”
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