Activity
The ward is the place where patients spend most of their time, and it should offer the patient privacy, rest and sleep, and interaction with staff or visitors in a confidential way.
Staff needs to be able to perform their work in an optimal way, and communication is central for this. In wards where patients share the rooms, the use of sound absorbing material is often the only way to reduce the negative effects of noise.
Room acoustics
Support recovery
Sleep and recovery requires low sound levels in the room and nearby corridors. Therefore it is recommended to use a fully covering absorbing ceiling.
Limit disturbance
The aim is to avoid spreading of unwanted sound between patients in the room or from the nearby corridors. The greater the absorbing ceiling coverage is, the less sound is spreading. Furniture and screens will further help to reduce and diffuse the sound so that it is more easily absorbed by the ceiling. Installation of wall panels will reduce unwanted sound reflections.