Rolling through the hospital walls I looked down the hallway seeing my mother fade into the distance as I was surrounded by a group of strangers dressed like aliens gathered to take me away for "investigation". I was 2 years old when I first went into the hospital for surgery. The color of the medical teams scrubs and the terrazzo flooring and florescent lighting is permanently engraved into my memory.
As I grew up, I was dragged unwillingly to visit family members in the hospital. My olfactory system can identify my not-so enjoyable experiences every time the electric doors of the hospital exhale its breath into my face. My experiences with nursing homes were even more disturbing. As elder family and friends required assistance in their daily tasks I struggled with keeping my past experiences suppressed and my connection with my loved ones faded. At 99 years of age, my great grandmother gave up her license - and most of her life. She used to drive regularly every other weekend to visit. She left her single room apartment in the city and moved into a suburb nursing home. At age 100, she had a roommate that talked erratically, took her things unknowingly and her environment was full of awkward noises and unpleasant smells. At age 102, she passed away in a place where she was openly honest about saying "I don't like it here".
Today, we are seeing signs of living in a Conceptual Age with more focus on creativity and empathy. A time when doctors and physicians are taking acting classes to become more empathetic to enhance clinical care through deepening their connection to their patients. A time when hotels are boasting about "Art Experiences" and health care providers are looking to the hospitality industry as a way to enhance a patience recover through good design practices.
This brings me hope, since I will some day be among the many who will need a place to call home or a place where we can go to heal when we are in need of medical assistance. It makes for good practice to give attention to our environment and understand how it can heal us, or hurt us.
I recently completed an informative paper about Evidence-based Art through Q7 Associates that gives a collaborative overview of the concepts being discussed around art placement in health care facilities. The concept is taking on more attention. Although it may seem like a small part...if it can it help a patient s recovery process isn't it work it?
Evidence-based Art paper.
