[Photograph of Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute's Healing Garden]. (n.d.). http://www.ballinger.com/portfolio/penn-medicine-lancaster-general-health/
About
Healthy Hospital Interiors
Hospitals are a naturally stressful environment which can inflict more than just stress on you and your loved ones. Based of off personal experience, I realized the hospital environment feels very isolated and uncomfortable. The process involved with entering a hospital includes various unfamiliar locations creating a recipe for worry and stress. The inclusion of stress and anxiety during times of healing can affect your wellness and the rate at which you are healing. Through healing interiors, we can alleviate the stressful environment and reduce recovery time.
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Healing environments focus on incorporating design elements to trigger the senses in a calming and motivating way. Design elements in healing environments include the incorporation of natural elements, color, as well as artwork. Through the exploration of healing interiors, I aim to raise awareness to how the surrounding environment can effect our health status, and identify the various elements that can benefit patient recovery.
Why Nature?
And How is it Incorporated?
Plants
Plants are an easy solution to incorporating nature into a room. If any allergies are involved, a good backup would be artificial plants.
Windows
Another way to incorporate nature is through windows. Offering a patient a nice view is likely to lighten their mood and improve productivity. This also provides access to natural light which is important in raising vitamin D levels.
Artwork
Artwork is an easy way to incorporate nature into a room without actually bringing in plants. Including images of natural environments is a simple way to promote a relaxed mood.
Phytoncides
Marcelo Gleiser, a theoretical physicist at Dartmouth College, explains that nature contains phytoncides, essential tree oil in forest air, which reduces stress and anxiety and moods such as anger (2018). As it is known that nature relaxes and elevates one’s mood, it is imperative for patients to get exposure to nature.
Distraction
Patients with a natural view are provided an opportunity to be distracted from the ongoing chaos of their recovery process. The distraction can provide motivation to those who are capable and motivate the patients to leave the bed and look outside.
Visually Attractive
The visual attractiveness of an interior can be increased through the inclusion of natural elements. Natural elements form a visual that is pleasing to the eye, due to the fact that it emulates being in nature, creating a sense of comfort allowing the stress of transitioning to an unfamiliar place to be reduced.
Testimonials
Why Color?
[Photograph of Children's Hospital of Orange County Lobby]. (n.d.). https://www.cannondesign.com/our-work/work/childrens-hospital-orange-county-bill-holmes-tower/
Michael Moran. (2016). Planned Parenthood Queens: Diane L. Max Health Center [photograph]. Aiany.org. https://www.aiany.org/architecture/featured-projects/view/diane-l-max-health-center-planned-parenthood-queens/
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As hospitals are a source of a surplus of emotions, color is a good way to control or minimize negative emotions.
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Hospitals were originally white in color which is often associated with unfamiliarity spawning discomfort.
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Color can promote socializing or motivation to help patients to engage in physical activities thus assisting with their recovery through the inclusion of vibrant shades.
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Research by Paula Rainha, a graduate from the University of London, suggests that the inclusion of color in a patient’s hospital room can not only improve their mood, but can improve the patient’s physical standards as well (2005).
How Interior Design Helps Staff
Creating a healing environment in hospitals can not only benefit patients, but staff as well. Incorporating elements discussed above can help staff feel more relaxed in the workplace, decreasing the likelihood of staff-related medical errors and increasing the attentiveness towards a patient.
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To help decrease the amount of work-related stress on staff, there needs to be an incorporation of personalized spaces such as offices. Personalized spaces provide staff with time to recharge and build motivation to carry out the remaining tasks of the day.
[Photograph of Oasis room at Christiana Hospital]. (n.d.). https://news.christianacare.org/2017/05/oasis-room-provides-space-for-hospital-staff-to-refocus-and-reenergize/