REDESIGNING HOSPITALS FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENTFOR PATIENTS

A healthcare center is a certain organization that deals with the patients and their families through their tough times brought by the mental or the physical illnesses. The healing environment inside the hospital with its clinical excellence soothes the victim’s pain by reducing the level of stress and fatigue. These therapeutic institutions also take a good care of the safety and security of its patients and the members connected to it. The well-managed recovery centers focus completely on the well-being of its patient and their families.The ways of redesigning and reconsidering the exterior part of the hospital to make the visitors feel at home are given below:

1. The peaceful environment inside the hospital: A goodenvironment inside as well as outside the hospital primarily reduces error related problems. It helps one to concentrate better. A peaceful ambiance always reflects kindness, compassion and takes care of the patient’s welfare. A desirable hospital provides a better environment to its patients. A healthy environment has an exceptional ability to heal its patients faster and better. Lesser noise outside the hospital creates a peaceful area. The walls of the treatment center could be made sound proof for this purpose. A policymaker and designer should consider redesigning the hospital environment before anything else. A fresh, curable, proper surrounding enhances the comfort and privacy of the patients.

2. Some positive and motivating distractions: A positive distraction elevates the mind by developing a positive feeling about oneself without any harmful side effect. The word distraction basically throws light on directing the attention on bad, useless happenings to something constructive and motivating. It helps in reducing pain, depression, stress and other psychological disorders. The interior and the exterior area of a good hospital should contain photographs and paintings and framed motivating quotes. An aquarium or an artificial nest with handmade birds can increase the level of patience of the child visitors. A distraction that helps the patients, especially the children to look forward to a new sunrise is no less than a blessing.

3. Proper lighting system: A hospital should have a proper lighting system. A good illumination creates a better understanding of the system and the surrounding. It gives a clear idea about the well-being of the institution. This encourages the safety of the visitors, the doctors, and other staffs. It also builds a refreshing and positive surrounding conducive to the welfare of the occupants. A better lighting system positively influences the regular performance of the hospital staffs and even motivates the patients and the visitors. Besides working on the well-being and performances, proper lighting makes the activities inside as well as outside the building more comfortable. A better view always creates a better impression for a commercial building.

4. Installation of artificial plants: For a visitor to spend a few hours inside the hospital it could be a distress. But an artificial garden or a small green space encourages him to deal with the delay by affecting the mental health outcomes positively. It is also refreshing for the environment inside the hospital area. Silk plants are safe and are a healthy alternative to low maintenance. Artificial plants make the interior of a health care center energetic, authentic and lively. An exotic variety of silk plants enhances and beautifies the grandeur of the space. These easy to support and faux trees create a unique makeover for the garden area. Artificial trees can even save us from watering daily, pest control, and trimming and can deceive the onlookers anytime for them being real green trees.

5. Waste-recycling program inside the hospital: The hospitals generate a huge amount of waste material to supportregularity in the well-being of its patients and visitors. Each health care center should come forward and create methods for the proper disposal of the harmful wastes. There are certain wastes that are poisonous to both its people and the environment. They could be disposed of regularly. The area should have a proper organization for the easy recycling of garbage. The recycling of the fluorescent lamps and tubes and other electronic and electrical wastes need a regulardisposal and check up by the maintenance department of the hospital. The useless but harmful machinery such as sphygmomanometers, the computer monitors, and batteries and other waste materials containing a huge amount of mercury, lead and cadmium could be removed from the waste area as quickly as possible. Focused and positive efforts could be taken to clean the surroundingand enhance and signify the patient’s well-being and welfare.

6. Regulating the use of energy: The use up of energy is mostly responsible for emitting harmful carbon dioxide gas encouraging air pollution. Since the hospital works for 24 hours, the usage of energy for heating, lighting and essential purposes is more than other commercial institutions. Reducing the use of electrical energy and using solar lamps instead of electric bulbs can regulate the energy level in a positive way. Air Conditioners inside the hospital area consume a huge amount of energy that could be controlled by improving the thermal insulation and maintaining the system adequately. The regular maintenance of the electrical connections improves the safety and security of the hospital. This can prevent the buildings from catching fire. Also, the authority should increase the number of fire extinguishers inside the hospital to handle accidents before it creates a huge loss.

7. Pure and clean hospital area: One of the main priorities of a reliable health care center is to have a clean surrounding that prevents any kind of infection to the patients and their families. Good behavior goes hand in hand with good hygiene and both are equally influential in improving the well-being of the patients. Every hospital should have a proper toilet facility and a good drainage system. With proper water supply and clean soap bars so that the visitors can wash anytime. A clean hospital area should promote permanent recovery of the patients by supporting cleanliness.