By: Barba, Lindsay | This article was originally published in Behavioral Healthcare Executive.
When it comes to the safety of patients in a behavioral health facility, there is "no one-size-fits-all solution," according to James Hunt, AIA, NCARB, an architect and consultant for the building and design of such facilities. Each population comes with its own risks and each organization must decide just how far to go to incorporate safety into design.
The patient bedroom is a particularly high-risk area, since patients are unsupervised for the longest periods of time in this space. When furnishing a patient bedroom, staff should consider each item carefully.