A few ideas:
Making a set of forms with LARGE print so that older people or people with low vision can actually read and fill out the forms.
Having a person on staff that can actually sit down with a patient and help them fill out the form (one of my friends has low vision and she can’t see to read the forms or write in the answers). It would be helpful if there was someone on staff (or maybe everyone at the front desk should be trained to do this, so one person doesn’t just sit there all day waiting for the one or two patients who need this service) that could sit with the patient and read the questions and fill in the forms for those who cannot see or cannot write for whatever medical condition they might have (like arthritis or MS).
Clear out the clutter in the front office and make the signage BIG and OBVIOUS. It can be very scary and confusing for people when they’re not sure which line they’re supposed to be in, where the forms are located or even where the bathroom is, or where the exit (from inside the examination area) is located. Arrows or foot prints on the floor is another helpful way to let people know where they are supposed to stand in line, or go when they’re in the examining area.
Have paper towels and hand sanitizer and wet wipes for your private parts inside the restroom where you go to make a urine sample. The last few times I went to give a sample, there was a sign (with super small lettering) saying that the women needed to use a wet wipe to clean themselves first, before they started collecting the sample, but there were no wet wipes available and then there was no paper towels or hand sanitizer. Also, the cups were not labeled with my name ahead of time and there were no writing implements available. There should also be some sort of innoffensive picture showing what to do, instead of just handing someone a cup and saying , “Here you go.” And they should tell you exactly where to put the sample after you’re done instead of making people stand in the hall way with their cup of urine and have to ask (which is quite humiliating for most people).
It would be nice to install some recliner types of chairs that are specifically reserved for people that need them. Some people come into the clinic and are very sick or frail and they are forced to sit (sometimes for a long time) on a hard chair. One of the hospitals that my Dad was in for his heart surgery installed a bunch of these chairs in the waiting rooms of the emergency room and others in the waiting rooms for surgery patient’s families. It made all the difference. If you have to stay there for a long time, a hard chair will take it’s toll on you.
Maybe come up with a small receptacle or fold down shelf that is specifically for women to set their purses on (like they used to have in restrooms). It’s kind of a disgusting idea for people to put their purse on the ground when they have to go in for treatment.
The place where I go for my mammograms has the right idea. Instead of a cold, clinical looking exam room, they have added lovely artwork, painted the walls to a soft warm nuetral color, changed the lighting to something soft and warm and used attractive lighting fixtures like wall sconces (instead of overhead fluorescent lighting), used pretty fabric on the curtains for where you have to take off your clothes. Getting screened for cancer is scary enough without having to be in a cold, ugly room.
Here is something that I made myself for my Dad when he got out of the hospital, and for my mother who has been plagued by severe allergic reactions with an unknown cause (making them both have to be taken to the hospital of having to call 911). I made up a form for both of them (which your clinic could create a template and then your staff could help the patients fill in the forms, which they would then put on their refrigerator for quick access for themselves or any emergency personnel that may have to come to their house, and the patient is incapacitated) It lists: Full name, birthdate, then there is a list of current medications and dosages and how often the med is taken, then there is a list of meds, foods or other things that the patient is allergic to, then there is a list for the patient to write down as many operations, conditions or ailments that they have (with an approximate date of when the procedures occurred, or when they had the ailment. Then there is a spot for the patient’s physician’s name and phone number and any medical insurance company and ID number they might have. I designed my forms so they were written in fairly large type and the categories were clear and obvious. We keep one form on the fridge and one form in the purse or wallet. The reason these forms are helpful is because if a paramedic comes to your home in an emergency, they will ask you or the caregiver a million questions about all of these categories and when you are under stress you will likely not be able to even remember your own mother’s birthday and certainly not be able to rattle off the names and dosages of the meds. I’ve tried to get all of my friends and relatives to keep one of these forms on their fridge. Maybe you can help to promote this idea.
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