The environment around us influences our response to stress. And, it can do so in both positive and negative ways. For instance, if you walk into a bright room full of color, your mood improves and stress levels go down. If you were to walk into a dark, cold room void of color, your stress level starts to climb.
Healthcare providers and medical staff have long recognized the connection between our wellbeing and the physical environment around us. However, it’s only relatively recently that health centers have started to use this connection to design facilities that actually help patients feel safer and recover faster.
Today, health facilities are using design as a major tool to aid patient wellbeing. And, it all starts with the layout of each room and the healthcare furniture that makes a facility feel more like home.
How Can the Right Healthcare Furniture Make a Health Center Feel Like Home?
Healthcare furniture can instantly make a patient room or a waiting room feel more like a bedroom or living room than a patient room. Rather than using cold, institutional materials like metal or plastic, high-quality healthcare furniture feels familiar with durable warm woods, modern finishes, and colorful upholstery.
The layout of the furniture matters, too, as well as the type of furniture that’s specified. Spacing out individual chairs in a common area may not facilitate conversation and connection as well as sofas, loveseats or a few chairs circled around a coffee table – just like at home.
When used as part of an overall design strategy, the right layout of familiar healthcare furniture can reduce the anxiety and stress that often comes with seeing a physician or undergoing a medical procedure. The same is true in a long-term care facility where patients are working to recover from an illness or trauma.
Specify the Right Home-Like Healthcare Furniture to Support Recovery
You need the right healthcare furniture to create an effective home-like environment. Here are a few specific ways to enhance patient wellbeing and support recovery through smart, thoughtful design.
- Colorful Furniture to Reduce Anxiety
Specify furniture that lets you create a residential-like setting. To do this, choose furniture with bright, colorful upholstery and modern finishes. Colors like blue, green and violet are known to reduce anxiety and wood finishes will feel warm and inviting. At Blockhouse, we offer an extensive line of furniture upholstery and finishes because we know there’s no one-size-fits-all design style for every health center. - Comfortable Furniture to Encourage Relaxation
Sitting in an uncomfortable chair, especially in a lobby or patient room when you’re nervously awaiting a procedure, creates stress. Comfortable furniture can better help a patient relax. Look for pieces with rounded, sleek lines paired with soft, comfortable cushions. Comfort is standard in each of our upholstered chairs, loveseats and sofas because of how important comfort is to patient wellbeing. - Create a Smart Furniture Layout
As mentioned above, the arrangement of furniture can be just as important as the furniture you specify. In the common areas of a long-term care facility, in particular, encourage communication with communal pieces that bring people together.
The right behavioral health contract furniture partner will recognize the connection between a patient’s environment and their overall wellbeing. At Blockhouse, we offer durable, comfortable, customizable pieces to support your overall design strategy. We’ll work with you to design home-like room layouts and specify the best pieces of commercial furniture to help you better care for the wellbeing of your patients.
Contact us today to learn how we can help you create a calming, home-like space throughout your healthcare facility.