Finding and results Table 3 lists t

Finding and results
Table 3 lists the number of clients who used the comfort rooms and the total times the rooms were used monthly. An average of 28 women and 42 men who could use the rooms were in the facility each month. Clients’ ages ranged from 18 to 79, with 36.6% of clients in the 50-59 age range. Approximately 63% of clients were at the facility less than 2 years, and 81.4% were Caucasian.
Fourteen voluntary feedback forms were completed during the 4 months. The forms asked clients to rate their level of distress before and after using the comfort room based on a Likert scale ranging from 1(lowest level of distress) and 5 (highest level of distress); 8 clients stated the room lowered their levels of distress by at least a difference of 2. Five clients noted higher numbers post-comfort-room use, yet all 5 circled the choice that the room helped them. Those clients who circled increased levels of distress on the scale after use of the comfort room may not have understood the scale. One male client indicated that the room was not beneficial and had only identified his level of distress prior to use and did not rate his level after use. He was the only clients who believed the room did not help him.
Since the initiation of the comfort rooms, there has been no use of seclusion or restraint. Previously, from October 2009 through October 2010, five occurrences of mechanical restraint use at the hospital were documented. Using LeBel and Goldstein’s (2005) model, which determined the cost of an average duration of mechanical restraint as $309.21,the hospital could have saved $1,546.05 by not using restraints over that period of time.
Although not a 50% decrease, the CTCA rate decrease from a 4-month average of 3.98 to 3.05 (-23.4%), and the CTSA rate decrease from an average of 2.31 to 1.20 (-48.1%).However, self-injurious behavior did increase from an average rate of 2.32 to 2.64 (+12.1%). Written comments by clients as reasons they believed the room was a positive experience included: “the atmosphere,” “the DVD,” “it was relaxing,” “it was calming,” “one could only focus on self,” “it was a private area,” “the nice recliner,” and “it was peaceful.” One female client wrote that the room was “just beautiful” and the only improvement would be if she could use it all the time. Written comments by clients about what they did not like included: “it was only 20 or 30 minutes,” “no cable,” and “no movies.” Clients’ comments about how the room would be more helpful and other suggestions included: “adding country music,” “adding movies,” “staying in the room all the time,” and “adding a computer and pool table.”