In response to the national concern for rising healthcare costs, companies are placing a greater emphasis on providing opportunities for workplace wellness for their employees. Workers are embracing new, company sponsored, healthy living initiatives with great enthusiasm.

 

One local South Florida hospice provider has worked creatively to develop health promotion programs for their employees as a means to improve employee health, enhance work performance satisfaction and retention, reduce preventable healthcare utilization and lower healthcare costs. Hospice by the Sea, Inc. was recognized in 2009 by the South Florida Business Journal with the Excellence in Healthcare Award for being an employer who makes the wellness of its staff a major priority. Hospice by the Sea, Inc., is a nonprofit healthcare organization providing hospice care, palliative care, home health care and caregiver education and support in Palm Beach and Broward Counties.

 

Hospice by the Sea, Inc. (HBTS) provides an array of non-traditional wellness services for its nursing and administrative staff. These services are offered under the umbrella of Aloesea, a business division launched in 2007. The name Aloesea (pronounced al-oh-see-uh) is derived from the healing properties of the aloe plant and from the sea’s capacity to calm and revive, representing the nurturing qualities of these services. The Aloesea logo contains the overall purpose of all the wellness offerings, Aloesea – healing heart, mind and spirit. HBTS demonstrates its commitment to the well-being of all of its employees by providing complementary therapies (free-of-charge) throughout the workday as well as after work hours to staff at every level of the organization. HBTS employs certified complementary therapy practitioners and also utilizes complementary therapy volunteers to provide these services.

 

Paula Alderson, President and CEO explains, “The physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of our staff is essential to their ability to deliver excellent care to patients, caregivers, and family members. As a result, HBTS is committed to creating a workplace culture focused on self-care and support for all of its employees."

 

Complementary therapies are holistic interventions that complement traditional medical care to help relieve the emotional and physical symptoms of stress; improve, maintain, and promote health and well-being; prevent disease; and treat illness. Initially, the complementary therapy modalities offered under Aloesea included Reiki and Healing Touch, which are both energy therapies.

 

Grants from several agencies have allowed HBTS to research the barriers of staff engaging in complementary therapies. Participation of senior leadership and their encouragement has allowed staff to understand the benefits and importance of their participation in the Aloesea programs. This has led to a major growth of interest in the choice offerings of complementary therapies. As a result, additional modalities such as Aromatherapy, Drum Circle, Guided Imagery, Meditation, Chair Massage, Reflexology, Acupuncture, Yoga and Tea Samplings have been added to the Aloesea program. “Healing Spaces” were renovated in both the Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale Corporate Offices for these therapies to be provided. This space allows staff to retreat to a calm and relaxing environment, with soft music and aromatherapy.

 

Hospice by the Sea, Inc. is a round-the-clock healthcare organization. Although office staff hours are from nine-to-five in both its Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale Corporate offices, most clinical field staff members travel throughout the day to provide direct care to patients and families in their homes. This makes it challenging for many staff to access Aloesea services during normal business hours. Early morning Reiki and Healing Touch sessions are offered for the night shift. For clinical field staff, who often are the individuals who can benefit the most from these services, complementary therapy practitioners are present at weekly Patient Care Conferences that all field staff are required to attend. Team leaders allow staff to leave the conference for 10-15 minutes to experience a “Stress Buster” session of Reiki or Healing Touch.

 

Continuous efforts have been made to quantify the benefits of Aloesea programs and services through participant surveys. “The data consistently illustrates a significant decrease in stress, pain, and fatigue after receiving complementary therapies. Feedback from staff speaks to the positive impact these therapies have on employee satisfaction, work productivity, patient care delivery, and overall physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being,” says Stefanie McKee, Ph.D., Senior Director, Program Development and Analysis.