As our society ages, there will be a greater demand for rehabilitation complexes that require significantly more square footage per patient than hospitals, according to Joseph Simone, President of Simone Development Companies.

Simone said the expanding need for rehabilitation centers is a question of demographics. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans over the age of 65 will outnumber the amount of youth under 18 by 2034. Longer, more active lifespans will make the need for physical rehabilitation likelier for many seniors over the course of their golden years.

Rehabilitation centers typically offer transitional care for patients released from hospital care but who aren’t ready to function on their own. The patient visits range from a few days to two weeks for orthopedic, cardiovascular, and neurological recovery or up to months for cases of traumatic brain injury.

“Increasing patient choice, high-deductible insurance plans and elective surgeries will require rehabilitation centers to compete for clients by offering greater amenities and services. Patients will seek facilities that offer calming spaces for recovery, not sterile medical suites. Space-consuming amenities include physical therapy gyms, therapy pools and upper extremity training rooms, among others,” said Joe Simone.

Simone Development, which is a leading developer of state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, understands patient and family demands for supportive services, advanced technology, privacy and amenities. “We expect the 21st-century rehabilitation center to include single patient rooms, many common spaces, ample therapeutic space, accessibility to outdoor areas and family participation lounges,” said Simone.

Patients visiting their primary care providers will see considerable evidence of technology becoming more prevalent in the examination room, according to Joseph Simone, President of Simone Development Companies. Simone said doctors use laptop computers during visits; examination equipment is now digital and wi-fi connected; and office staffers communicate with patients by text or email.

Simone Development, a leading developer of state-of-the-are healthcare facilities, has accommodated technology’s growing presence by building examination rooms with high-speed internet ports and increased electrical wiring for the new gear. Now the pandemic is accelerating other healthcare trends, particularly touchless tech and automation.

“We’ve already seen hands-free technology at work with hand sanitizer stations and hand-washing sinks. The endless need to sanitize surfaces to avoid contagion has some medical providers asking their landlords to modify interior doors so that they will automatically open when someone approaches,” said Joe Simone.

“Illness screening protocols will require many of these automated doors to be connected to thermal sensors at entrances, where the devices will temperature check visitors before doors open. Medical office landlords should expect to install more thermal sensors as the technology becomes more affordable,” Joseph Simone added.

Simone said medical office builders will also have to consider how they will build self-sanitizing examination or waiting rooms and which technologies—ultraviolet lights, ceiling misting systems or others—will work best for tomorrow’s medical practices.

Simone Development’s architects are already incorporating into their designs the post-pandemic protocols that will become permanent, while allowing space flexibility to incorporate tomorrow’s demands.

There are a lot of factors that go into a good design: light and noise considerations, prime spatial awareness, easy wayfinding, logical lay-outs… the list goes on. Designing healthcare facilities comes with its own challenges and considerations that many other buildings do not, making the design of medical buildings all the more important when it comes to the details and process-design.

However, designing the right medical building can reap a huge number of benefits, not only for patients, but for staff members. Medical real estate developers, Simone Health, discuss how medical facility design can promote employee satisfaction down below.

Staff-Only Outdoor Space: Incorporating outdoor space into healthcare facilities is an up and coming design trend, but there’s a way to take its benefits to the next level: providing a separate outdoor space for employees. Outdoor spaces are already proven to reduce stress-levels and improve work performance, but there is often one communal outdoor space for all visitors, patients, and staff to relax in. It would be highly beneficial to your staff well-being if there was a section for only staff members, where they can escape from the eyes of patients and their visitors. It’ll provide even more stress-reduction, and allow them to go back to caring for patients with a smile on their face.

Reduced Noise Levels: The noise level of a healthcare center, especially hospitals, if often too loud of a decibel level to be relaxing. Healthcare workers are in a high-stress and noisy environment every hour they’re working, those of which are typically very long. A design consideration that can benefit staff and patients alike is proper soundproofing throughout the entire medical facility. This will bring down the decibel level and provide a less stressful and comfortable environment for everyone, allowing employees to improve their focus and service.

Improved Patient Wayfinding: You may think that improving patient wayfinding only benefits patients and their visitors. Well, there’s a huge benefit in this design consideration for employees as well: not having to deal with lost, wandering patients meandering around the hallways. Ensuring there’s a system in place that allows patients and their visitors to find their way around the facility unassisted allows staff to focus on their tasks and avoid unauthorized folks from entering hallways they’re not supposed to.

Standardization of Medical Tools: One final design consideration is the standardization of medical tools. This is especially helpful in high-volume clinics and emergency departments, where staff members need to act urgently. Having a standard set-up in every patient room ensures that medical staff always know where something is, no matter what room they’re in or what kind of patient issue they’re dealing with. This can reduce stress in these often life-or-death situations, improving the overall employee experience.

“Happy staff make for happy patients. If you want your patient satisfaction levels consistently high, it’s essential to pay attention to the concerns of your staff members who are caring for them. Incorporate some of the suggestions above to give your medical staff the work environment they deserve so they can provide the best service to your patients in return,” said Joe Simone, President of Simone Development Companies.