Sensory Modulation Room on a Locked Inpatient Mental Health Unit

Purpose:
Research has show that psychosis and excessive sensory stimulation are major precipitants in assaultive behaviors on locked inpatient psychiatric units. The use of a sensory modulation room has been shown to decrease anxiety and agitation.

Significance:
The extended care psychiatric unit had the largest percentage of assaults of all other units. The objective was to find a way to decrease assaultive behaviors on this unit while maintaining privacy and comfort.

Strategy and Implementation:
The Assault Aggregate Root Cause Analysis Team, which I chair, at VA Pittsburgh, completes a yearly review of assaultive patient behavior in the Acute Care, Long Term Care, and Behavioral Health Divisions. The team recognized that the largest percentage of assaults (77%) occurred on the extended psychiatric unit treating Veterans for resistant psychiatric diagnoses. A creative opportunity for improvement was recognized following review of the environment. Escalating and aggressive patient behavior was handled without privacy and in full view of other veterans. A Sensory Modulation Room based on the concept of daycare timeout stations was designed to provide privacy, decrease stimuli and promote relaxation using aromatherapy, massage pillows, weighted blankets, clay, squeeze balls, reading materials and a variety of audio/visual relaxation items. After initiation of this room, the assault rate on the extended psychiatric unit dropped dramatically by 50%.

Evaluation:
Almost immediately Veterans began to self refer to the room. Due to a variety of treatment resistant psychiatric disorders, including dementia the Veterans on this unit were unable to complete the evaluation forms for this room

Implications for Practice:
Assaultive behaviors on the unit that houses the sensory modulation room have decreased by 50%. In the near future the behavioral health units will be moved to a new state of the art building with a sensory modulation room on each unit(three)