We had a patient who was recently admitted after having a stroke, and he was expressing a need to get more sleep. After 3 days of only getting a total of a couple hours of sleep, he was feeling sleep deprived, becoming depressed, no longer wanting to participate in therapy, and said if he went one more night, he was going to leave. If he had left early, he wouldn't have been strong enough to be independent; therefore, it would be unsafe for him to go home.

The doctor had tried adding sleep medication and adjusting his regimen daily to try to help him sleep. His nursing staff tried everything they could think of. He was frustrated and felt defeated, and just wanted to give up. When Brochel got report that morning and visited with the patient and his wife, the patient shared that he believed that if he could have his wife sleep next to him, he knew he would be able to sleep. They had been married for over 40 years, and he felt that this would make him feel as close to home as he could get. So Brochel got some help, and they arranged his room so they could fit two patient beds right next to each other so they could try one last thing to help him rest.

When I came on shift and visited with the patient and his wife, they were beside themselves and so grateful for all that Brochel and other caregivers did to make this difficult task happen. That night, the patient and his wife slept all night long. He was able to stay as planned to gain strength and go home. To see those beds together in that little room was literally the sweetest thing I have ever seen. Also, she walked all the way over to the guest house with his wife to help her get her belongings, brought them back to their room, and helped them get comfortable.