520
Detailed Needs and Requirements: Psychiatric Unit
16. Visitors
Relatives and friends of the patients are an essential part of the
therapeutic program. They are encouraged to visit and to take part
occasionally in the patients' activities. Visitors may at times conflict
with certain diagnostic and therapeutic routines, so control of visitor
traffic may be desirable. The staff should be able to maintain
observation of certain patients during visits. Visitation may require
safeguards to protect patient well-being.
Visitors arriving for staff interviews should be able to wait in comfort
outside the general area of patient activity.
525.1.5
Trends
Knowledge of the etiology of mental disease is rapidly increasing and new
diagnostic and treatment programs are continually evolving.
The recent decrease in inpatients, and in length of inpatient stay is
expected to continue. A corresponding increase in outpatient load is
anticipated.
The separation between impatient and outpatient programs is becoming
blurred. Currently, the day care program is being integrated with
outpatient programs. Eventually inpatient and outpatient programs may
be combined to minimize staff duplication and preserve continuity of care.
Outpatient care may, increasingly, extend to family members or whole
families.
An additional trend is the decentralization of patient care as a result of the
availability of psychiatric services close to a patient's home. Parallel with
this, there may be increased centralization of specialized psychiatric
treatment programs on a regional level.
525.2
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
The size of the unit is a function of patient care programs and staffing
patterns. Currently, units of not less than 20 beds nor greater than 30
beds to be suitable.
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