Privacy Curtains 101
When it comes to creating privacy for patients in a hospital, clinic, or school nurse's office, the primary method is to install a privacy curtain, also called a cubicle curtain. That name also fits because the idea is to provide a more private space called a cubicle.
In skilled nursing facilities, cubicle curtains can be used to give residents some privacy, often to separate a two-bed room into two semi-private cubicles.
When approaching how to specify or purchase a privacy curtain system, there are three main items to consider:
- The privacy curtain itself
- The cubicle curtain track and carriers
- The other hardware and available accessories
Let's spell out the key considerations for each of these.
Privacy Curtains
As the main component of a privacy system, often people who order cubicle curtains are replacing old, worn-out curtains. Others find themselves having to create new spaces in open areas where walls aren't possible. The choices for curtains are virtually limitless with varieties of:
- Colors and Patterns
- Weight and Feel, also known as "hand"
- Price point
At Inpro®, we sew all our own cubicle curtain products, so you can select the fabric that fits your décor and budget, and we'll turn them into curtains. Another piece to consider is including a mesh top to the curtain, and why it's important – in the U.S., fire codes require that privacy curtains have a mesh top to allow fire sprinklers to fully spray as designed. Mesh can also help with overall ventilation of the space.
Let's cover the typical curtain options.
1. Washable fabric privacy curtains
Most cubicle curtain fabrics are polyester or a blend that's meant to be washable, and often can be used for several years depending on the fabric and strict adherence to manufacturer's laundering instructions.
2. Washable antimicrobial fabric cubicle curtains
Another option is to choose antimicrobial fabrics, like our Shield® by Panaz line – the fabrics have high liquid repellency and an active antimicrobial to reduce laundering while maintaining a cleaner facility. These fabrics are also excellent for shower curtains – they easily shed water, and fight mold and mildew.
3. Washable Snap-panel Fabric Curtains
Fabrics can also be sewn into swappable panels with snaps for easy change-out of soiled sections. Inpro's EZE-Swap® system saves time and expense of having to take down and launder the entire curtain.
4. Disposable Privacy Curtains
Another option gaining in popularity are Disposable Curtains, often made from a lower-cost fabric or a paper-fiber blend. As their name implies, these are short-term products designed for quick replacement, and are often a good alternative where frequent room or bed changeovers are the norm.
Privacy Curtain Track
The Track System is the main hardware needed for a privacy curtain … it's what the fabric hangs from. Like fabric, there are different types and weights of cubicle curtain track based on the overall weight of the fabric and the budget of the project.
Most of the time, track installations are undertaken either in a renovation of a facility or as one of the final fit-out items in new construction.
Mounting of the track is usually accomplished in two ways:
Blocking – a hard attachment point in the ceiling, usually directly mounted into the floor above, with a connecting bracket to the track itself.
Clips – these plastic clips attach to the tegular grid of the ceiling panel system. As you might imagine, these are call Grid Clips. It's important to know the weight-bearing capacity of the tegular ceiling grid when using Grid Clips, and match the curtain and accessory weight to the grid's limit.
Track layouts or configurations are done based on the function and layout of the room, location of doorways, and the level of privacy desired:
Straight track – a common layout of straight track is a diagonal placement angle just inside the door to the corridor to block viewing into the patient's or resident's room. Another would be a straight track between two residents' beds in a skilled nursing facility.
Curved or bent track – various configurations using bent or curved track may be needed to accommodate a more-complex room design or, for instance, if the entire bed needs to be completely surrounded by track. This type of track is bent at the factory, and ships as a "kit" for assembly onsite.
Splice brackets must be used to connect sections of track – Inpro reps know how many splices to include in your order based on the length and sections of track ordered.
Flexible or Bendable Track – products like Inpro's Formatrac® Bendable Track allow for easy field fabrication and placement of track configured to the needs of the space.
Now, back to your track choices. As mentioned, Inpro offers several track options, again based on the overall weight of the curtains themselves and your budget. Some are extruded aluminum, others are plastic, and Formatrac® is a combination of both.
On the last page of this Handbook is a handy Cubicle Track Selection Guide to help you understand your options, and narrow your selection.
The Accessories
Right after the track itself, we need to talk about Carriers, which are the hooks the curtains hang on. There are different styles of carriers, almost too numerous to mention here. But, the options include:
- Ball and chain carriers
- Roller carriers
- Slide carriers
In behavioral health environments, a specialized carrier called a Pop-out Carrier is used – as the name implies, the hook "pops out" to reduce the risk of ligature.
One thing to bear in mind, too, is the amount of noise produced when a privacy curtain is moved along the track. Noise that disrupts a patient's sleep can impact their rate of healing, so choosing quieter track and carriers may be the best option. In one hospital acoustic study, Formatrac® Bendable Track was shown to significantly reduce the decibel level in patient rooms, when moving the curtain – see the Appendix.
An important finishing accessory is the end cap for the track, which provides a nice finished look, and keeps the carriers in place at the end of the track.
One handy accessory is the Safety Loading Unit available with several Inpro track configurations. A hinged track section with a locking latch allows one person to easily swap out privacy curtains without the need for a ladder nor needing to stretch and reach to unhook curtains from their carriers.
Baton draw rods are a simple device allowing staff to move curtains without touching the fabric itself – this reduces the need to launder curtains, as well as cutting down on hand contamination of the fabric edge. It can also help reduce fraying and wear from frequent grasping.
Adjustable Drop Chains for privacy curtains and track accommodate various ceiling heights, and may also be used in place of mesh top curtains for areas where ventilation is required to meet institutional regulations.
Finally IV bag holders or pendants give healthcare facilities flexibility to mount IVs from the curtain track, which can be a space saver in certain patient room or treatment bay configurations.
Next we cover some of the most-common questions our customer ask about the various components of privacy curtains when planning a purchase.