Take two ferns and call me in the morning! By Neville MacKay Chiropractors’ offices, waiting rooms and practices – some even in older homes – reflect a more welcoming atmosphere and less of a sterile feel than those of many other practitioners. What better place to have plants and flowers? Now, some of you, although great with your hands, are less astute when it comes to plants. Get over your fears and learn something about them, or get someone else to look after them for you! Plants are great for us all, and will make a world of difference in your practice. There are many “plants for dummies” that I often suggest to start with. Schefflera plants, ferns, spider plants, peace lilies, pothos and philodendrons are a few that are very low maintenance and will add not only beauty but health benefits to your space. Not convinced that plants and flowers will help make yours a more suc- cessful practice? Foliage plants, like the ones I listed above, improve air quality by helping to remove formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. They are the lungs, really, of the indoors! They also breathe in carbon dioxide, and expel oxygen, mak- ing folks around them more focused, happier and, of course, healthier. Just seeing a plant – a healthy one that is!! – has been shown to increase positive feelings, reduce stress and fear. Flowers add so much to any office, practice, or business! We send flowers to a local dental practice every week. It’s amaz- ing how many great comments the patients have when they see them! Now, many people are allergic to flowers – or think they are! – so you have to be careful when choosing flowers for your practice. Speak with your local florist to get suggestions about what will work best for you. Here are a few flowers that I like to use, because they are scent free and they last well as cut flowers: alstroemeria, orchids (both cuts and plants are easy care), ginger flowers, Asiatic lilies (not the scented Oriental lilies!!) and minia- ture calla lilies all are great choices. These are just some of the flowers that will add beauty and colour to your space, and will last well for you also. Furthermore, just so you know, fresh flowers are proven relaxers, calming the mind and therefore the body as well, which may come in very handy in your waiting room! Now, if you feel the need to have permanent botanical plants and/or flow- ers in your practice, really think about how you go about it. I’ve seen an other- wise OK space absolutely destroyed by the addition of cheap, non-living plants and flowers. Remember, you get one shot at a first impression, so it had better be a good one! You don’t want folks limping into your practice, already in pain, then getting a gawk at some cheesy, old, plastic fig tree, or worse, dollar store silk flowers! If you wish to stick with botanicals, there are really good permanent botanical plants and flowers out there; they cost more of course, but they are totally worth it! But please consider going to get a starter plant for your practice, at least. Don’t leave it in the green plastic pot it came in, and for goodness sake don’t set it on a margarine tub lid! There are garden centres, greenhouses, florists and even plant care companies that can help you if you need help. But know that you really could benefit from having these beauties of nature with you in your practice! I know your patients and co-workers will appreciate them, and no doubt will let you know! Neville MacKay is the owner of My Mother’s Bloomers flower shop in Halifax, Nova Scotia and has written for a number of floral and design publications. Please visit his website at www.mymothersbloomers.com. 10 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | MAY 2010 purchasing, and gutting. “The new building would give us a clean slate to work with,” says Erin. “We would not have to demolish a whole floor to achieve the space we wanted. Also, this particular building really meshed with our values.” The meshing of values that Erin de- cribes refers to a few of the building’s fea- tures. 437 Roncesvalles is Toronto’s first geothermally heated condominium com- plex. Its clean modernity stands in stark contrast to the older architecture that surrounds it, and yet the building sports features like a clock tower and communal atrium that call to mind simpler times and the connectedness of its residents. The edifice has already been embraced by the neighbourhood as a harbinger of progres- sive living that does not tamper with tradi- tional community spirit. Along with these qualities, as a resi- dential complex, it offers Sommers a clientele base. Furthermore, his practice enjoys sidewalk exposure, fronting right onto Roncesvalles’ constant – but not distracting – flow of traffic, including public transportation routes. IT IS EASY BEING GREEN In keeping with the ecofriendly bent of its location, Sommers’ clinic is designed on principles of green living. Dr. Sommers maintains electronic patient records, recording all notes right onto the patients’ digital files via a com- puter terminal stationed in each adjusting room. He also uses the computer screens for patient education purposes, choosing this over handouts, pamphlets or even posters that he feels are invasive to his and the patients’ focus on chiropractic and wellness. Appointment booking and all other office functions also are carried out digitally. In the washroom, one will find cloth, rather than paper, hand towels that can be jettisoned into a waiting receptacle from which they will be gathered and laundered. As well, patients will find a number of plants and flowers throughout the clinic. FRONT DOOR, NAME AND LOGO The front door of the clinic provides a name and logo and describes, clearly, the services offered within the clinic and whom they are offered by. Like all oth- er elements of the clinic, the name was www.canadianchiropractor.ca
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