Dream Foundation and the American Psychiatric Association determine results

Santa Barbara, Calif. — Dream Foundation, the only national dream-granting organization for terminally-ill adults, has determined that the overall well-being of adults with a terminal illness improves after they have had a final Dream fulfilled*. Dreams ranged from receiving essential, tangible quality of life items, creating happy memories with loved ones on a special getaway or at a family reunion to meeting a personal hero – any request that provides support and compassion to the patient. With the help of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and Dream recipients, results show that patient well-being increased by an average of 21 percent in 80 percent of the participants.

Patients’ initial well-being was assessed using the five-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) survey prior to receipt of their Dream. After patients’ Dreams were fulfilled, they were asked the survey questions again. The patients’ responses to the survey questions were compared and showed that patients had a greater sense of well-being after Dream fulfillment (p <0.0001). Although life expectancy can affect well-being, it did not impact these findings. Though the extent of the project was relatively narrow, the results suggest that fulfilling Dreams of terminally-ill patients contributes to improvements in their well-being.

“It is with great joy that we can share these results,” says Dream Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Kisa Heyer. “Our Dream recipients and their families share these inspiring anecdotes with our staff daily but it’s important to share these insights with the palliative care community. We hope these results will highlight the important role that final Dreams play in end-of-life care.”

*All Dreams were fulfilled through Dream Foundation’s General and Dreams for Veterans Dream Granting Programs. More information can be found at www.dreamfoundation.org.