I have seen a ward-type room in a hospital for decades, Louise. Stage one of our triage rooms in te emergency have curtained off areas, but as soon as one "graduates" from there, they go to small individual rooms in the emergency until a regular hospital bed becomes available. All the hospital rooms are private for only one patient or the typical two-patient rooms. Of course, the private rooms are more expensive and often not covered by insurance unless a doctor says it's medically necessary.

I think all hospitals have a habit of moving patients are night after the evening discharges and while the floors are less busy. Several times Ben has awaken to find a new neighbor in the bed next to his.

When I was hospitalized in 2021, I was in a private room only because it was the last room available in the hospital.