It was very special day for one of our long-term patients in DOU as it was her 62nd birthday. The DOU team members came together in celebration along with the patient’s family. The DOU team all helped make sure the patient felt special by putting up decorations throughout the room, making special accommodations for more visitors than allowed in the unit, and allowing a big, beautiful arrangement of flowers in the room per the husband’s request. The devoted husband, who has had a difficult time accepting his wife’s condition and has had numerous concerns arise with staff, was full of gratitude towards the staff. He offered red envelopes, an integral part of Chinese tradition, to the DOU staff to show his appreciation.

The ability for the staff to come together despite all the prior challenges and issues between staff and husband was a testament to their compassion as a team. During the patient’s hospital stay, the husband has had several incidences with different members of the patient’s interdisciplinary team due to disagreement in goals of care. These incidents led to a few security alerts and meetings with upper management. Despite all of the misunderstandings, the husband was finally able to recognize the DOU team for their kindness and hard work.