Hospital Waiting Rooms
From time to time, we all find ourselves in a hospital waiting room. Ironically, they have to be the worst place to be if you’re sick or hurt.
The last waiting room I was in, had very uncomfortable chairs, one bathroom, no drinking fountain, and a broken vending machine. People were stuck waiting for hours using the same bathroom as the girl with the stomach flu, having nothing to drink and nowhere to lie down.
I wouldn’t take my cat to place where it had to spend 5 hours sitting in the same position, with a filthy litter box and nothing to drink. If I did, I bet the Humane Society would take him back.
I think hospitals should model their waiting rooms after airports. New airports have restaurants, shops and modular hotels. Little rooms to go to take a nap if you need one.
Now, health care is in desperate need of more money but if they involved the private sector in this, it could happen.
Not everyone sitting in the waiting room is sick, most sick people come with a healthy person who drove them there.
As they wait with their loved one, I’m sure they’d love a coffee. Food can be a comfort when you’re stressed. Why not open a Tim Horton’s Kiosk? I’ve seen them at some hospitals but I really wish they were more common.
But what I’d really like to see are beds. Now I can see there being problems with giving people their own rooms, but would it hurt to have a bed or two for people to lie down on since they are not feeling well? How about a little crib so babies can rest?
Can we try to make health care a little more human?
Kate