Eliminate Curtains from All Patient Accessible Areas
By: Hunt, James M. | This article was originally published in Behavioral Healthcare Executive.
Curtains maybe the most widely used window treatment in so-called "typical residential environments." They can visually soften a room but they also present some very serious potential hazards. Many facilities feel that their inherent risks are too great to be acceptable, especially in areas where patients will be alone for long periods of time, such as the patient bedrooms and bathrooms.
Current thinking among some leaders in the field of behavioral healthcare design is now that curtains of all types should be eliminated from the patient environment. This includes curtains at windows, showers and privacy curtains in multi-patient rooms.