Like with the Future of Care Homes, waiting rooms will enter into a new normal after the Covid-19 pandemic. This means that facilities both in & out of the Healthcare Sector will need to improve the safety & hygiene of their waiting areas to protect visitors as well as staff. So, how it can be done?
Cleaning: Improving & Prioritising
In a post-Covid world, there’s going to be inevitable pressure to improve the hygiene standards of waiting rooms. This will most likely involve introducing greater infection prevention measures, such as thorough cleaning schedules and ample provision of hand sanitiser. Antimicrobial Seating may also become standard in reception areas in the long term. You can find more information on all of this in our Cleaning Guide Here.
Space Awareness
A sacrifice many facilities will need to consider is reducing the capacity of their reception rooms. Creating additional space for people, especially in communal indoor areas like waiting rooms, should help visitors feel much more at ease in your facility. Moreover, such a measure will help to protect staff further and thus goes hand-in-hand with a comprehensive cleaning routine for waiting areas.
Limiting Shared Items & Spaces
In essence, almost all of our common design practices need to be rethought post-Covid. In the past year, we’ve had to limit the items and remove high-touch surfaces to prevent the spread of disease. As a result, waiting rooms should aim to maintain this by minimising high-touch objects including magazines and tables.
Beyond the waiting room: reassuring visitors and staff
Reception areas were never widely popular before the coronavirus pandemic, so the new normal has to be built around reassuring everyone that they are still safe in your facility. If possible, go outside the traditional waiting room by allowing visitors to wait in separate rooms or spaces. You could even utilise outdoor space if the weather’s nice! Most importantly, however, you must aim to cater to everyone’s safety needs, whatever they might be.
Overall, your waiting area will have to adapt to provide safety measures that protect your staff and visitors, and this will have to take priority over whatever your reception area once was. This is where Renray can help. We supply a wide range of Reception Seating, Stackable Chairs and other furniture for waiting rooms. So, if you need a redesign to prepare for this new normal, we should have you covered.
Find more information from Our Brochures Here, or feel free to Contact Us for any help or advice.