Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Stroke and Neurology Unit is the first in Victoria offering a time-criticalnew rehabilitation treatment. Designers pioneered a new approach with a central ‘racetrack’ at its core to get stroke patients active within 24 hours. The impact on recovery, cost and staff satisfaction has been profound.
Stroke is one of the world’s leading causes of death and disability, but an exciting new treatment called Endovascular Clot Retrieval (ECR) is having a major impact on patient outcomes. ECR gets short-term, high-needs patients up and active within 24 hours of clot removal because the greatest benefits are achieved when blood flow is restored early.
ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects transforming a vacant 1300-square-metre shell into an enriched environment that incrementally stimulates patients‘ circulation, brain activity and recovery through set and incidental rehabilitation.
Project Architect Nicholas Simmonds says the $AUD9.3 million, 31-bed,bespoke facility uses abundant natural light, soft curved forms, timber joinery and rug-like floor features, serene blue and warm grey seating upholstery and feature walls, and cosy nooks for staff, patients and visitors to interact and for clinicians to observe patients progress unobtrusively. The effect is a calming interior with elements of home thatencourages activity and interaction. “The environment needs to strike just the right balance in terms of stimulation because if a stroke patient is over-stimulated that can send them into stroke again,” Nicholas says.
Functional requirements grew from extensive research into stroke treatment and highly detailed, ongoing stakeholder engagement. Thisled to high staff and patient satisfaction andthe idea of a central activity ‘Racetrack’ with a therapy zone at its core and restful bedrooms bathed in natural light around its periphery, all linked visually with switchable glazing.Clear sightlines were imperative as stroke patients are at high risk of falls.
Co-locating rehab, clinical and caregiver facilities at the design’s core maximises spatial and time efficiency: essential for a treatment where every minute counts. Decentralising staff to recessed stations outside bedrooms supports 1:2 staff-patient ratios (unusual outside Intensive Care).
Materiality and form selection grew from stakeholder engagement and ideas about space as motivator. Hard right angles are subconscious stop points. Curved walls and fluid forms encourage patients to keep moving. Ringing the sociable Racetrack with comfyseating offers the motivating prospect of rest as required and space for informaltherapies like puzzles.The result is a highly effective therapeutic space that feels remarkably non-clinical.
Professor Mark Parsons, Director of new unit, says the design is having a “massive” impact on patient recovery and satisfaction. “There’s lots of evidence that if you deprive stroke patients of a nice environment they recover more slowly,” he says. “An enriched environment with lots of stimulation and activity stimulates the brain to form new connections.
“We’re seeing patient satisfaction surveys of over 90% each month, and more stroke patients being discharged directly home who would previously have had to go on to rehabilitation. For the same length of stay patients have a much better level of function than they did previously. They’re able to go home and look after themselves rather than need further rehabilitation to get them to an independent level.”
Material Used :
1. Laser Lighting – Lighting – LED Extrusion
2. CS Acrovyn – Timber-Look Wall Protection – Cameleon Pattern Wall Protection Sheets
3. Laminex – Laminate – Decorated Panel
4. Corian – Solid Surface – Outdoor Collection
5. Instyle – Upholstery – Tex Range
6. Worthly Group – Upholstery – Tessuto Range
7. Tarkett - Vinyl Flooring - Primo Premium & iQ One ranges
8. Polyflor – Vinyl Flooring - Forset FX
9. Armstrong - Wall Vinyl – Wallflex
10. Baresque - Wall Vinyl – Symphony Impromptu
11. Tarkett – Wall Vinyl – iQ Optima
12. Godfrey Hirst – Carpet – Landscape
13. Dulux – Paint – Natural White, Stony Creek, Cape Lee & Blue Accolade
14. Caroma – Sanitaryware – Care Range & Opal Range
15. Enware – Tapware – Aquablend range
16. Britex – Stainless Steel Benches and Shelving - BenchTech
17. SureCare – Grab rails – Straight, Toilet Rail & Safe-T-Lock
18. SureCare – Hooks
19. SureCare – Curtain Tracks – Monotrack
20. Iglass – Internal Windows – Privacy
21. Hafele – Joinery Hardware –
22. Vertilux – Roller Blinds – Dual Blinds
23. Desks – Workspace – Track Desk
