Feature
Paediatric design
mental disabilities and acuity level of the paediatric patient- and provide design location considerations to best serve and be accessible by all ages using the facility. Provide appropriate size and scale of furnishings, equipment. Provide cultural and age appropriate décor and colour and patterns in all patient areas. Keep in mind that many children, some with learning and behavioural disorders, are greatly influenced and sometimes negatively by types of images, colours and pattern so make sure the physicians who care for these specialty patients are part of the selection process – to insure your environments are enjoyable and safe for all. Providing entertainment for patient and visitors with in-room flat-screen TVs, games and video on-demand entertainment to help keep the family and patient’s minds engaged in fun activities while they’re waiting or in a patient room. Provide wi-fi internet access for working parents who stay with their children The Family Concierge and Hospitality Suites services and facility design concept features additional sleep rooms, washers and dryers, custom concierge personal support services for those visiting from out of town and eat in family kitchens for preparing and dining on homey family preferred foods Providing space for customized ‘room service’ menus and in room kitchenettes or hotel mini bar refrigerator and food storage equipment to feature healthy child and family preferred meal and snack choices to make sure kids and parents eat well during their stay Provide age appropriate ‘playrooms’ on every floor that help kids heal and get back to the business of being a kid. Teens and toddlers need to be provided separate places that best suit their different ‘play’ needs. Teen Lounges provide a age appropriate place for teens to connect with other patients their age, visiting friends to hang out, read, play video games or just enjoy a movie on the big-screen TV together Provide stress free quiet family respite room and areas for a place for parents to be away from their sick or injured child and to relax Provide a room or space for a patient education and doctor/family consultation centre to provide private rooms and spaces to keep everyone educated and communicating during a trying time. Many facilities benefit from providing a Family
Health Library which empowers the family with information about their loved one’s illness so they can be better prepared to help their patient heal Provide a separate room or space for activities and daycare for siblings who visit the facility Provide healing gardens and other outside areas and gardens provide access to the outdoors, and appropriate outdoor play for patient and siblings and friends to enjoy which evidence based research shows is important in the healing process Provide a quiet and private mosque/ chapel for meeting all patient, staff and visitor’s need for prayer and spiritual healing and finding a place to find peace and tranquillity during difficult times Provide clear and understandable child and family-friendly appropriate signage, graphics and art for location queuing and way-finding within they often confusing and complex healthcare facility Use child appealing and appropriate vibrant art everywhere to engage children in the fun of discovery and to act as a positive mood lifting distraction for patient family and staff alike. Provide lots of locations for using changeable patient provided or produced art as part of the patient room and activity areas to help personalize spaces during the patients stay. I hope you and your organizations will
use this information and focus on developing new innovating children’s health facilities and in doing so make a big difference in the health of the children in your countries and the Middle East and Asian regions. HB
Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital - Rosenberg Center Baltimore. Image © HYDE
‘When a child becomes ill or injured the entire family becomes the patient
Hospital Build Issue 3 2011
23
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52