Healthcare Design Adopts Residential Touch

Healthcare is expanding across the country, but new healthcare facilities are adopting more residential, homey design qualities for patients and friends and family. These more welcoming designs are a way for healthcare facilities to stay competitive as patients have more options as well as boost the overall quality of the healthcare.

“Whether it’s a patient waiting to be seen or admitted, or a family awaiting news about a loved one, the environment in the waiting room is an area ripe for improvement,” says Kellie Reed, director of healthcare at Tangram Interiors, tells GlobeSt.com. “It doesn’t need to feel like a bus station with uncomfortable seats in rows that hinder face-to-face communication. Moreover, a dingy and uninviting waiting area can reduce confidence in the overall quality of care provided by the facility.”

These residential-inspired designs incorporate more comfortable furnishings and ergonomic designs. In addition, the design team is incorporating tables in various shapes and sizes also contribute to variety in the space and a home-like feel. “A sense of warmth can go a long way toward addressing these concerns, as can furnishings in comfortable designs and fabrics that accommodate different body styles and sizes,” says Reed. “The idea is to create, as much as possible, a feeling of home through residential-style pieces arranged in groups.”