Hospitals are places where you can find the flow of public round the clock catering inpatient and outpatient population. Interior designers and purchase managers are responsible for maintaining the infrastructure. You can find furnishings custom manufactured considering the hospital environment.

Whether its furniture for home or hospital, we should look for durable and cost-effective furniture. The designs and models keep changing and the laws and mandates to maintain hospitals change. Investment on good design and durable furniture shows the standards of the hospital. One time investment in good furniture turns out to be cost-effective in the long run and facility managers find it affordable to maintain it.

When redesigning the hospital cost consideration, elimination of wastes and utilizing the existing resources will be a tough task! The hospital furniture’s and fixtures are mostly composed of civil work and the furniture in the rooms and the waiting areas apart from the medical equipment and necessities.

The outlook of the hospital can also be changed by shifting the healthcare sections such as pediatrics, dermatologist, ENT, General Physicians, etc from one place to another. This gives a new innovative feel to both the patients and the hospital staff. It will not be easy to change the specialty rooms, there are a number of factors to be considered while relocating the doctor rooms

• Parts should be interchangeable, easy to move and should be handled by hospital staff within a short period of time.
• Architects, designers, and engineers can perform analysis of the furniture and fixtures already in-use at the facility and can renovate cost effectively
• There should be better management of materials and inventory. The standard materials will have defined protocols for cleaning and maintenance.
• The interior designers while renovating should avoid making new look in pieces. The new design should give a uniform and attractive look
• A number of equipment and products are not flexible and will not be compatible with the renovated look. There will be lots of pressure to reduce cost and be more efficient.
• The management should understand that using only warehouse items will not help
• While selecting the furniture to opt for standard sizes rather than custom sizes. The standard sizes are easily available for replacement

A patchwork is a strict no! It gives a bad impression about the hospital standards and does not allow differentiation of the hospital as a reputed hospital with good infrastructure.

It is difficult to change the furniture’s and furnishings frequently, so make wise choices at the time of selection considering cost and durability. If there are no standards being maintained for designing the size of the room or fixtures and furniture of the room, an interior designer can help you in having a definite size of the room and designate the place for table, stool and attendee’s furniture, making it spacious and comfortable.

• Select the wall paints, this is the first step which helps in selecting other furnishings
• Furnishings should be selected considering the fabric is washable and durable. You can have a couple of fabrics to add to the looks of the interiors
• The floor can be tiled or carpeted 
• A properly designed Hospital furniture’s and fixtures give you fresh and functional look for years together.
• If space permits the hospital should have a greenery area and or a small fountain. The patient rooms should be provided with large windows and balconies through which patients can have a look of the outside atmosphere giving a refreshing breath.

Hospital furniture must meet the patient demands and provide comfortable seating during the visit. Now a day’s many hospitals are incorporating waterfall seats, arm-pads, and weight-distributing cushions

Consideration While Selecting Furniture:

While selecting the furniture make a note that it gives a good body posture and distributes the weight evenly and reduces shearing forces. It should be easily moveable, allows interaction with fellow patients and self-adjustment.

Recliners: There is a new approach in providing comfort to patients. Motorized recliners can be helpful in patients who are suffering from bariatric disease. The patient can adjust the position on their own. There are recliners which can also be used by expectant mothers. The body position can be changed as and when required. They are easy to clean and can be moved for cleaning. Few recliners are also provided with extended arms to allow blood transfusion and dialysis.

Patient Movement: The hospital interiors should allow easy handling of the patients.  The hospital interiors should have readily fitted handles which allow easy movement. The hospital furniture should allow an easy shift of bed-to-chair or chair-to-chair patient transfer.

Waiting areas: The modular furniture and compact seating arrangements are a pre-requisite for the waiting room of any hospital. The patients and the companions require a comfortable seating arrangement while waiting for the doctor. You can also have some educative posters and some elements of nature such as plant pots or aquarium to make the environment lively. The waiting rooms should also have newspaper or magazines to beat time. The hospital rooms should be elegantly designed with a smart and a thoughtful approach and should not give patients a sick look; lively environment gives good vibes for both patients and the hospital staff and enables healthy recovery.

Hospital-acquired infections are a major threat to the patients and also the visitors. The furniture should allow for easy cleaning. Anti-bacterial upholstery fabrics and timber lacquers can help in preventing the spread of infections.