We try to keep everything as homelike as possible and make the patients very comfortable. By the time they come to us, their lives are so disrupted, so torn apart, that first and foremost they need to know they are loved. We also do what we can to keep the patients comfortable and free of pain. Each patient has a television if he or she wants to watch it and daily activities are planned to lift their spirits. Patients are in bright spacious rooms with two or four beds, decorated with loving care by the sisters, the patients themselves and others.
Windows look out on the gardens and the peaceful atmosphere contributes to their comfort as well.
Most of the patients are in ward-like situations because we've found that they receive more stimulation when they are not isolated. Dr. John M. Read III checks on the patients twice weekly and is always on call. Men are cared for in first-floor wards by male nurses and sisters. Women are on the second floor. The nine Hawthorne Dominicans care for patients on the women's floor and are always present throughout the building.