During consultations for Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals Expansion Project carers told us they were exhausted from sleeping on chairs; they needed somewhere comfortable to sleep so they could support the patient in hospital, and leave hospital well-rested.
Architects re-designed single rooms to include a carer zone with a sofa-bed. A privacy curtain provides a discrete sleeping area, while still allowing safe clinical care to be provided to the patient. To support the program, we developed new consumerfriendly resources, changed visiting hours, and amended operational policies.
The initiative has now attracted hundreds of local and overseas health professionals, and is being incorporated into new hospital facilities for Stage 2 at Blacktown Hospital.
