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INFRASTRUCTURE
- Hospitals
need to have
living-room like
furniture such as
sleepers, gliders
and recliners for
family members. - Private hospital
rooms with its
modern furniture
have evolved
into places
of residential
aesthetics, zones
of comfort
enabling faster
healing.
5
introduction of living-room like furniture
such as sleepers, gliders and recliners.
What about the design of furniture for
bariatric patients?
Most facilities currently do not focus on
dedicated furniture for bariatric patients. In
the past, occasional severely obese pa-
tients were handled on an ad-hoc basis with
existing hospital equipment, reinforced as
needed..
Keeping the sensitivities of this class
of patients, facility and furniture designs
have evolved to provide ultimate goal for
bariatric patients- which is independence
and strength. With newer custom design
approaches, bariatric patient and accom-
panying visitors show reluctance to use
standard-sized weaker furniture and this
has given way to an uninhibited use of wait-
ing and patient zones furniture, providing
well-needed comfort.
How the furniture design for hospital staff
has evolved?
Newer and efficient designs of furniture for
support staff enables increased efficiency
in the demanding work environs. Some of
the current work furniture trends are task
seating, desk seating, height adjustable
tables, integrated filing and storage cabi-
nets, and others.
How different is the furniture for different
specialties?
Furniture needs to be different to address
the need of the various users. The furniture
has to be various types to cater various
users. For instance, waiting lounges need
to have seating with more welcoming and
comfort, and ambience can be of top prior-
ity and hub modular seating in order to
encourage social interaction. We need OPD
zones with connectors to maximize the
seating capacity. We need multi-functional,
flexible furniture with mobility that easily
facilitates a variety of room arrangements;
customisation, in built storage and breath-
able fabrics that offer antimicrobial and
stain-resistant properties and evidence-
based design. For family and guest accom-
modations, we need sleepover solutions
and built-in storage options, intuitively
designed for ease of use without staff as-
sistance; quality guest seating; desks and
work surfaces for computers. For infection
control and cleanliness we need easy-to-
clean fabrics; finishes that stand up to
repeated, stringent cleaning-agents and
no loose cushions. Also, we need bariatric
furniture to be strong yet complement the
overall aesthetics.What are the improvements that you wish
to see in furniture in the coming years?
A room for one, with space for all. And
‘Make in India’ on par with imported quality
and affordable rate. We need to reflect on
the next generation of work solutions to
create environments that are caring, com-
fortable and, above all, safe. Also, we could
look at integration of automation.6