Home Qualities that makes it as a Health Supportive Place “Long-term Patients’ Perception and Preferences”

Abstract

Attention to the quality of spaces and places has been increased between architects and designers. Planning, as a tool has come to be essential in the creation of a secure and pleased environment covering human needs. Medical geographers have increasingly articulated the importance of place and space in the context of health and health care. However, the social effects of architecture as a mean of ordering space have largely been underexplored. Focusing in the quality of health care place for those who has to spend more time in these kind of place is necessary.In the first step, this paper try to find the place that patients feel more relaxed according their lifestyle. Also, it try to explore which qualities of this place makes it as a health supportive place in long-term patients’ viewpoint and which physical and mental elements make this qualities. Additionally, their preference in transition of this quality to hospital setting is investigated.The starting point of the research was the patients and their habitual lived experience through an exploratory study. A mix of quantitative and qualitative methods was chosen for this research. During the research, through questionnaire and interview, some Iranian long-term patients were requested to share detailed description of their feelings, thoughts and opinions. The results of the study stated home as the first place that feel relaxed for most of patients. In addition, some characteristics of home such as comfort, privacy, freedom, security and belonging, personal identity and self-expression were the most important items that make it as a health supportive place that were provided by some elements such as memories, family relationship, friendly environment and furniture and its arrangement. Althought, they believed that the transferring of some qualities such as comfort, privacy, freedom, security and family relationship to hospital setting will provide a better place in quality for them.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n8p55