"Sleeping is not allowed. We do not provide cots, pillows or blankets to overnight visitors."
That's what greeted me at the ICU door.
And then I got to the room. The photo says the rest.
Later, I walked to the cafeteria. Ultra-processed snacks and fast food. In a hospital.
Two observations. One question I can't shake: when did we design healing environments around everything except healing?
I don't know how common this is inside the US or beyond it. It was the first time I’d seen it myself. But it made me wonder how other systems approach this. Are family presence and caregiver rest treated as part of the recovery equation elsewhere? Or is this a normal tension?
If you've experienced healthcare in another country, whether as a patient, caregiver, or professional, I'd love to hear what felt different. What does your system get right that this one clearly does not?
