Trauma Informed Care in Hospital Settings - is it missing?

First of all, Karen, I am so sorry for your mother and yourself.  Secondly, there are few times that people feel more vulnerable than when there is a medical emergency.  We are so dependent on the care of others, and anytime that care is not trauma-informed, it is less than quality care.  I think this is a very BIG issue.  We don't necessarily choose our medical providers because they are people that show compassion.  We choose people that are smart and like to read books and study chemistry!  However, on the side of providers, they are often expected to do a lot more than may be humanely possible and I think that adds to their distancing professionalism.  But we know, anything that reduces anxiety in patients, will help with recovery and will also help with their responses to providers.  So, yes, it is way past time we push for trauma informed care in all of our medical systems.  Hope your mom is on the mend and you are hanging in there.

Thank you for sharing this story, Karen!  A friend of mine just posed on facebook today a similar experience of feeling despondent in a hospital setting. His two year old son is a patient at the Children's Hospital in Oakland, and is undergoing very painful procedures. My friend was struggling to be a strong, supportive parent as his tiny, dear child suffered.  Shouldn't "care" include best efforts to mitigate trauma as it occurs and certainly to be sensitive to compounding trauma from the past impacting medical trauma?  Shouldn't "care" include care for the spirit and not just the body?  I hope we can advocate for changes, Karen, so your family and others can find true physical and emotional support in overcoming a health challenge.

Karen, clearly it's a good thing you are there to advocate for her. Your comments have made me rethink some of the issues I've been dealing with in terms of caring for my parents, so thank you for raising this matter. I think as many of us are or become involved in the care of our parents, we will see the system of care in a new light.  Within the healthcare system, there is far too much pressure to address the presenting problem and not acknowledge the person or underlying issue.