Advances in technology, research and even regulatory changes have brought us into a new era of health care, aiding us in developing a number of new tools to help patients. What were once thought of in a negative light, the use of padded rooms and other spaces has grown exponentially over the past decade-or-so and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Typically thought of as a place to restrain or alienate patients, padded rooms are going through a true medical resurgence. While there are still applications which warrant these rooms to be used as holding cells of sorts (such as in jails and penitentiaries), the majority of these types of rooms that are built today are used for rehabilitation purposes.
Padded rooms are now found in homes, schools and other educational facilities and in hospitals and smaller health care facilities across the country. Let’s explore a few of the main factors that have contributed to such incredible growth and adoption below.
Medically Proven
The first step in acceptance of padded rooms and spaces is obvious in that patients and administrators alike want to ensure that the use of such spaces is approved by major medical professionals. The confluence of the focus on patient safety and the advancement of mental health treatment is where you’ll find the answers to these types of questions.
With many years and even more iterations of these state-of-the-art padded rooms, medical professionals have not only had the opportunity to observe these rooms in use, but have also had a chance to tweak and perfect them along the way.
No longer are these rooms used as a punishment. For the majority of these rooms the opposite is true; creating a space that is safe and comforting to those that need them most.
Also referred to as seclusion or safety rooms, they can be used to provide a controlled environment to protect patients who are a danger to themselves or others. In doing so, they help prevent injuries caused by self-harm, aggressive behavior, or accidents, particularly in patients with severe mental health conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or acute psychosis.
Conversely, many facilities have adopted padded rooms as part of therapeutic interventions to de-escalate crises without relying heavily on physical restraints or sedative medications, which can carry health risks.
Improved Design
Using the data provided from analysis, we’ve also come a long way in designing these spaces. In addition to the unique design capabilities, we also have a number of material choices from which we can construct these rooms.
Whether the requirement be for a regular padding surface for light athletic play, a fire-rated product for more unique and enclosed spaces or a completely seamless solution for the ultimate in comfort, durability and cleanliness, the options for padded rooms are seemingly endless.
The choice of materials and design give hospitals and other healthcare facilities more options when assessing what kind of padded room they need. From the choice of colors available along with lighting options, temperature controls and proper ventilation, these rooms are now based on both ethical and therapeutic processes which together only exist to better help serve the patient.
In the end, these rooms are now designed and built with safety, patient dignity, therapeutic use and regulatory compliance in mind. If your facility is looking for an upgraded padded space or is looking to design a completely new project, do not hesitate to reach out to a member of our team for more information.
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