| Alternative care facilities in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida were studied through field observation. Facility characteristics of 27 facilities such as type, name, number of active patients and physicians were documented. A Likert-type scale was used to rate the condition and aesthetic appeal of the design features typically found in the public areas. The major categories were flooring, wall coverings, ceiling materials, seating, lighting, case pieces, cabinetry, floor plan layout, aesthetic genre, sounds, smells and air quality, positive distractions, social climate, and cleanliness and maintenance. Also, the degree to which primary care office requirements of the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities (FGI, 2010) were met was documented and rated.;The key findings indicated that most alternative care facilities use decorative features and furnishings with ratings of average or higher. The majority of the studied alternative care facilities did meet most of the guidelines, rating average or above. |
