CGM - Design Intervention for the Family Rooms at The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
To proceed, the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario demonstrates the value of interior design when it is incorporated in making of two-family lounges. The allocated family lounges are a place where the family can rest, make phone calls, do laundry, or be in a different atmosphere. Children and parents use the space when the child is inpatient in their clinic visit or the when the child is in intensive care.
The family rooms include an accessible washroom with a shower, a kitchenette, a quiet room, laundry facilities, and a fireplace/tv lounge. “The expectation is that the physical environment supports and empowers patients and families in the active participation of their care” (Leibrock 207). Providing a prosperous space that supplies the family with their needs in a stressful period is beneficial to the young patient. “Family participation is a key component of patient-centered care and directly relates to patient/family satisfaction. The child may be much more comfortable with a parent as a primary caregiver” (Leibrock 207).
Children need a space that lets them continue to act like a kid and develop their imagination and positivity. “A child may need more tactile, auditory, and visual stimulation than an adult. Provide an environment that encourages fantasy, a space that gives children permission to act out their fears and relieve their anxiety” (Leibrock 212). The two-family rooms include a tv lounge that can act as an escape for the child, they can continue to use their imagination while distracting themselves from the life at the hospital. In addition, the family room design incorporates open space which is very precious in a hectic hospital environment. Open space can “nurture healing with the capacity for children to move about freely in a healthcare environment”(Weinberger 83). While enclosed spaces produce people to feel a discomfort and create a desire to leave the space. CHEO considering the area and flow of the interior when creating the family rooms produces a positive impact in the child’s experience in the hospital.
To add, The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario made their family rooms joyful by adding natural light and vibrant colours. The designers of the family rooms added vivid colours to the furniture of the space. The chairs have a calming and pleasant colour palette of greens and blues. Red, orange, and yellow décor are added to complement the colour of the furniture. The Space is a fun, playful, and relaxing which benefits the child and their parents in their treatment and recovery. To conclude, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario should continue to practice design techniques used in the family rooms to boost the energy of the patients and their families.
This page has paths:
- CGM -An Investigation of Hospital Interiors Effect on Patients Catherine Gomez Medero