Thoughts on Hospitals

Thoughts on Hospitals

Very spacious rooms.

I guess like a lot of other things hospitals have changed a lot over the years. I have been very fortunate in that I have not had to stay in a  hospital that I can remember during my 76 years. I am sure I was in hospital quite a while when I was a baby as I was born prematurely. I have visited hospitals from time to time to see various people that have been ill but until recently had not noticed the changes that have occurred.

In England I remember going to a hospital and visiting in a long room which must have had about 20 beds, a ward, and a great many nurses wandering about talking to people, making beds and doing nursing, and it was  mainly very quiet and seemed like a very calm, orderly place.

There were  special times to visit and those were kept very short. Talk inside the hospital  was kept very subdued and only so many visitors were allowed in at one time. It was frightening in a strange way as the nurses and doctors had complete control over the patient and the system was very set.Patients were woken up at strange times, with emphasis on a strict routine for diet and medication and visitation.You didn’t think to question any decisions as is done now.

In Texas the hospitals are newer and at first we noticed that the nursing and routine was similar to those we were used to in Canada. 

Recently we have noticed a great change in the hospitals especially around where we live. Instead of having one or two major hospitals in the major cities, hospitals are springing up everywhere in the new suburban areas and the older hospitals are being redesigned and rebuilt. They are very spacious with many private rooms and different areas to accommodate different specialties. They resemble to a great degree very pleasant hotels with numerous staff,an  open aspect, pleasant artwork and are designed to make the stay of the patient a very nice experience.

We also noted when Mike spent three days at Baylor hospital which had recently been renovated, instead of seeing one or two nurses, the patient nowadays gets to see a multiple series of nurses as they are constantly changing shifts and each different tasks has a different  nursing.staff. Add to that the various people that visit, guests and friends and relatives plus the housekeeping staff, the doctors and medical professionals plus all the volunteers, there are people constantly in and out of the private rooms. Everyone that is patient gets their own television, the room telephone. a PA system and even gets to order room service for food for themselves and also their guests. There seems to be no special set visiting hours but probably if the person is very sick there are different rules.

Baylor hospital Grapevine

So some things have changed for the better. One thing we did notice was that security was very lax especially with everybody just wandering in. We passed the nurses station but no one even inquired who we were.

So this was a new experience for us and I expect most hospitals here are very similar . It seems a much better experience for the patient than in past days but even so hospital is a place to visit rather than to be in! I think most people would agree.

We are glad that Mike is home again, recuperating and will soon be his old self.