Lack of Colour

This week I spent at Burwood Hospital in Chch supporting a young cousin of mine who was having a major op.
Hospitals are strange places. During our every day lives, they never cross our minds, except for the 'super drama' hospital series on the tele, or in the news of rushing ambulances and emergency vehicles.
But when you enter a hospital, it is always a very intent experience. The colour is grey to white, like most of the staff and patients, so where do we find colour, without referring to graphic descriptions of one's illness.
I looked for colour in a number of places (3 full days in a hospital, there is time for hunting), and I was disappointed - nothing stood out except possibly the patients. Like all good public hospitals, they are made up of a cross section of the community, and from various areas both rural and suburban.
Surprisingly or maybe not so, it saddened me the number of patients in the pre op who were on their own! What is it with families today, they dont care for their elderly - there were 6 people in pre op all having hip replacements (that is big) and 3 of them had no family with them and they all came from Chch with family near by.

This is how the colour of hospitals should be, caring and special, like having your best friend visit and say it's going to be OK!
Because unfortunatley you will not get that from the staff - a disappointing experience.