Modern Healthcare

Architects design for safety

Healthcare designers try to create homey - yet secure - environments


Healthcare architects are being asked to create secure environments that still look homey and unthreatening, according to an article on the Modern Healthcare website.

At a UnityPoint Health facility in Rock Island, Ill., if a patient arrives for behavioral-health stabilization or assessment, a sliding metal door can be lowered to separate the patient from equipment and supplies. UnityPoint expects 20 percent of its ED patients to require a mental-health assessment.

The patient, who will always be accompanied by a staff member, can be monitored in a specially designed ED exam room equipped with surveillance cameras, the article said.

A living room-style “safe room” is a good alternative to physically or chemically restraining patients, said Dr. Manuel Hernandez.

“It allows patients to be monitored without making them feel like they're being monitored. When they're actively watched, tied down or locked in a room, it only seems to escalate these patients,” he said.

Read the article.

 

 



November 7, 2014


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

How Backup Power Needs Vary Across Healthcare Settings

Manufacturers discuss how evolving codes, technologies and care settings shape healthcare backup power strategies.


Flexible Design Strategies Help OhioHealth Maximize Clinical Space

Doing more with less was key to the renovated facility’s design.


New Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases Opens

The new space not only offers more exam rooms but also features 15 private infusion bays to allow privacy for all patients and their caregivers during treatment.


Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Daytona Beach Opens

Hospital amenities include all private patient rooms, a spacious therapy gym featuring advanced rehabilitation technologies, an activities of daily living suite and more.


What Healthcare Facilities Can Learn from a $49 Million Window Failure

A major window system failure at the University of Iowa’s Children’s Hospital sparked a costly replacement project – and a $49.4 million arbitration win.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.