New Addition to Meet Patient Needs

Maggie Yu is appreciative of the sensory-friendly room for pediatric patients at CommonSpirit Saint Joseph Medical Center – East Lexington’s emergency department.

“I am grateful both as a nurse and as a parent of a medically complex child with autism that this has been implemented,” she said. “There is something comforting about it, knowing that my child has a place in a medical facility where he can experience a feeling of safety.”

It is a treatment room with adjustable lighting, calming sounds and varied textures to support needs stemming from autism, ADHD, anxiety or sensory overload. There are interactive wall activities and dimmable multicolor lights. The lighting and multiple seating options are helpful, Yu said.

Yu contrasted this with her son Chip’s typical reaction in medical facilities: “Usually our experience in doctors’ offices and hospitals is that he becomes distressed when he sees a hospital room. He does not have that reaction to this room.”

Saint Joseph Medical Center – East Lexington leaders partnered with the Autism Society of the Bluegrass to ensure the room meets patient safety needs and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

When the room was being designed, Chip, 10, and his mother provided input. Her son has visited the room several times and has responded positively. “He smiles and begins jumping,” said Yu, who has two other sons, ages 5 and 6, with her husband, Terry.

The room’s environment also helps caregivers. “When a child is distressed, it affects them physiologically,” Yu explained. “It causes their blood pressure and respiration to increase. It affects the oxygen demand on their body. It also makes performing procedures difficult, such as starting an IV.”

As a certified ER nurse at Saint Joseph Medical Center – East Lexington, Yu has observed the room in use with several neurodivergent pediatric patients and said it has made a difference.

“Parents and patients find the room useful,” Yu said. “When you enter a space that was designed for your child, it indicates that the hospital acknowledges your needs.”

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