To a patient receiving hemodialysis therapy—four to five hours, three times a week—looking out the window could provide a much needed diversion. This is why Denise Williams, Manager of the new R. Frasier Elliott Unit, is quick to point out the large windows that surround the units during a tour.
"Before we didn't have natural sunlight and it felt a little cramped," Williams says. "Now our patients can see what's happening outside and feel the warmth of the sun. It's just nice not to stare at the walls."
And, if the outdoors doesn't excite them, each of the 24 care stations will have a television. The unit also has three negative pressure rooms to treat patients that require isolation (with communicable diseases), a wheelchair accessible scale that prints out readings, and a pantry, fridge and microwave.
Work on the unit, supported by a donation from the R. Fraser Elliott Society, began several years ago and Williams thanks all patients and staff for putting up with the plumbing and the upheaval in the Eaton Building. "We're just so happy," she says. "We are so looking forward to treating patients in this spacious and bright place."
