Whole Health in Your Practice - Setting the Stage: Optimal Healing Environments

March 2017

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5. SETTING THE STAGE: OPTIMAL HEALING ENVIRONMENTS

Whole Health in Your Practice

VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Self-Assessment: How Whole Health-y is Your Practice So Far?

• Back to your answers on binder pages 23-24

• Answer the following with a partner:

– What are your strengths/superpowers?

– What were areas for improvement?

– If you could make a change in one area, what would it be?

– Do you work in a healing environment?

Whole Health in Your Practice - Setting the Stage: Optimal Healing Environments

March 2017

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VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

What Makes for an Optimally Healing Space?

• An exercise

• Partner discussion

Whole Health in Your Practice - Setting the Stage: Optimal Healing Environments

March 2017

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Whole Health in Your Practice - Setting the Stage: Optimal Healing Environments

March 2017

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VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Surroundings – Our First Self-Care Circle

A man is not rightly conditioned

until he is a happy, healthy, and

prosperous being; and happiness,

health, and prosperity are the

result of a harmonious adjustment

of the inner with the outer of the

man with his surroundings.

-James Allen

Whole Health in Your Practice - Setting the Stage: Optimal Healing Environments

March 2017

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VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Homelessness

Photo credit: Franco Folini via Foter.com / CC BY-SA Photo credit: Ed Yourdon via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Photo credit: BuzzFarmers via Foter.com / CC BY Photo credit: mlaudisa via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Homelessness

• Veterans comprise 11% of the adult homeless population (proportion varies by state).

• Veteran homelessness dropped by 24,837 people (33%) between 2009-2014 (10% decrease between 2013-2014).

• Only 3 states have experienced increases of more than 100 homeless veterans since 2009 (IL, UT, and AR).

The 2014 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. October, 2014

Whole Health in Your Practice - Setting the Stage: Optimal Healing Environments

March 2017

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VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Does The Living Space Need Work?

Photo credit: michaelgoodin via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Air Quality

Photo credit: Saf' via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Whole Health in Your Practice - Setting the Stage: Optimal Healing Environments

March 2017

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VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Odors

Photo credit: gainesp2003 via Foter.com / CC BY-NC

VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Toxic Environmental Exposure

Photo credit: philwirks via Foter.com / CC BY-ND

Whole Health in Your Practice - Setting the Stage: Optimal Healing Environments

March 2017

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VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Light Pollution

Photo credit: Mira (on the wall) via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Noise Pollution

Photo credit: CJS*64 via Foter.com / CC BY-ND

Whole Health in Your Practice - Setting the Stage: Optimal Healing Environments

March 2017

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VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Remedies May Not be Expensive

Photo credit: Dennis Wong via Foter.com / CC BY

VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Managing Sensory Overload / Making A Home Safe

• Buy light-opaque curtains or a sleep mask

• Wear earplugs to bed

• Paint a room, buy a plant

• Ask smokers to cut back and/or smoke outdoors

• Clean using safe household products

• Use a water filter

• Place weapons in a locked box

• Keep cords and other obstacles out of the way

• Essential oils

Whole Health in Your Practice - Setting the Stage: Optimal Healing Environments

March 2017

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VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

And…

• Proximity to green space, NDD

• EMF and wifi

• Consider ergonomics

• Remember domestic violence

• Crime

• Feng Shui

• The “vibe”

• Other thoughts?

Photo: Adam Rindfleisch, MD

Surroundings: Physical and Emotional

Whole Health in Your Practice - Setting the Stage: Optimal Healing Environments

March 2017

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VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

Surroundings Resources