Thermal comfort modelling of older people living in care homes: An evaluation of heat balance, adaptive comfort, and thermographic methods

This paper brings together objective and subjective data on indoor temperature and thermal comfort to examine the magnitude and perception of summertime overheating in two London-based care homes occupying modern and older buildings. Continuous monitoring of indoor and outdoor temperature, relative humidity and CO2 levels was conducted in summer 2019 along with thermal comfort surveys and semi-structured interviews with older residents and staff of the care settings. Indoor temperatures were found to be high (>30°C) with bedroom temperatures often higher at night than daytime across both care settings. Limited opening due to window restrictors constrained night-time ventilation. Overheating was prevalent with four out of the five monitored bedrooms failing all four overheating metrics investigated. While 35–42% of staff responses perceived indoor temperatures to be uncomfortably hot, only 13–19% of resident responses were found to do so, indicating that elderly residents tend to be relatively insensitive to heat, leaving them open to overheating without realising it. Residents and staff in the modern care setting were less satisfied with their thermal conditions. As hybrid buildings, care settings need to keep both residents and staff comfortable and healthy during hot weather through night-time ventilation, management of heating and supportive institutional practices. Practical application: Care home designs have focused on keeping residents warm through the winter, neglecting the risks of summertime overheating. Care homes are hybrid buildings serving as living spaces for vulnerable older residents and offices/workspaces for staff. Providing comfort to both groups during periods of hot weather is challenging. Opportunities for ventilation are limited by Health & Safety regulations that mandate up to 10 cm maximum window openings and institutional practices that result in windows routinely kept closed, particularly at night. Utilising natural and where possible cross-ventilation should be considered along with external shading. Heating should be managed to avoid unwanted heat gains in the summer.

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ASHRAE Likelihood of Dissatisfaction: a new right-here and right-now thermal comfort index for assessing the Likelihood of Dissatisfaction according to the ASHRAE adaptive comfort model

Energy and Buildings ◽

10.1016/j.enbuild.2021.111286 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 111286

Author(s):

Salvatore Carlucci ◽

Silvia Erba ◽

Lorenzo Pagliano ◽

Richard de Dear

Keyword(s):

Thermal Comfort ◽

New Right ◽

Comfort Index ◽

Adaptive Comfort

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Using crystallization to understand loneliness in later life: integrating social science and creative narratives in sensitive qualitative research

Qualitative Research ◽

10.1177/14687941211005943 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 146879412110059

Author(s):

Barbara Barbosa Neves ◽

Josephine Wilson ◽

Alexandra Sanders ◽

Renata Kokanović

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

Creative Writing ◽

Social Science ◽

Older People ◽

Case Studies ◽

Vulnerable Populations ◽

Lived Experiences ◽

Later Life ◽

Care Homes ◽

Social Phenomena

This article draws on crystallization, a qualitative framework developed by Laurel Richardson and Laura Ellingson, to show the potential of using sociological narratives and creative writing to better analyze and represent the lived experiences of loneliness among older people living in Australian care homes. Crystallization uses a multi-genre approach to study and present social phenomena. At its core is a concern for the ethics of representation, which is critical when engaging with vulnerable populations. We use two case studies from research on loneliness to illustrate an application of crystallization through different narrative types. To supplement our sociological narratives, we invited author Josephine Wilson to write creative narratives based on the case studies. Josephine was awarded the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2017 for Extinctions, a novel exploring themes such as later life and loneliness. By contrasting the two approaches—sociological and creative narratives—we discuss the implications of crystallization for qualitative research.

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The ‘regulated death’: a documentary analysis of the regulation and inspection of dying and death in English care homes for older people

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x06005460 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 233-247 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

KATHERINE FROGGATT

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Best Practice ◽

Quality Care ◽

Care Homes ◽

National Standard ◽

Good Death ◽

Term Care ◽

Documentary Analysis ◽

Death Event ◽

Inspection Process

In England, processes of regulation and inspection have been established to ensure that older people living in long-term care settings receive quality care. This paper describes how dying and death in care homes for older people is regulated and inspected. A documentary analysis was undertaken of the standard that addresses dying and death in the 2001 Care Homes for Older People: National Minimum Standards. Present in the standard is a ‘good death’ template drawn from constructions of best practice in palliative care. The way in which this national standard is enacted in the inspection process is described using a content analysis of the inspection reports from 226 care homes for older people. These present a narrow focus on dying and death, one that emphasises the older person's wishes and the degree of adherence to policies and procedures concerned with the dying and death event. A regulated death attenuates the ‘good death’ template and reflects both the inspection process and capabilities of the residents of care homes. If the regulation and inspection process is to integrate dying with living, a broader conception and regime of inspection is required. Only then will end-of-life care be provided that meets the diverse needs of older people who live in care homes.

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Pain management of older people in care homes: a pilot study

British Journal of Nursing ◽

10.12968/bjon.2006.15.9.21092 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 15 (9) ◽

pp. 509-514 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Patricia Schofield

Keyword(s):

Pain Management ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Older People ◽

Care Homes

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Book Review: Facing Death: Palliative Care for Older People in Care Homes

Dementia ◽

10.1177/147130120500400114 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 158-159

Author(s):

Anna Luce

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Older People ◽

Care Homes ◽

Care For Older People

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Indoor Thermal Comfort Analysis: A Case Study of Modern and Traditional Buildings in Hot-Arid Climatic Region of Ethiopia

Urban Science ◽

10.3390/urbansci5030053 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 53

Author(s):

Haven Hailu ◽

Eshetu Gelan ◽

Yared Girma

Keyword(s):

Thermal Comfort ◽

Significant Role ◽

Indoor Environment ◽

Thermal Sensation ◽

Climatic Region ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Objective Measurements ◽

Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽

Adaptive Comfort

Indoor thermal comfort is an essential aspect of sustainable architecture and it is critical in maintaining a safe indoor environment. Expectations, acceptability, and preferences of traditional and modern buildings are different in terms of thermal comfort. This study, therefore, attempts to evaluate the indoor thermal comforts of modern and traditional buildings and identify the contributing factors that impede or facilitate indoor thermal comfort in Semera city, Ethiopia. This study employed subjective and objective measurements. The subjective measurement is based on the ASHRAE seven-point thermal sensation scale. An adaptive comfort model was employed according to the ASHRAE standard to evaluate indoor thermal comfort. The results revealed that with regards to thermal sensational votes between −1 and +1, 88% of the respondents are satisfied with the indoor environment in traditional houses, while in modern houses this figure is 22%. Likewise, 83% of occupants in traditional houses expressed a preference for their homes to remain the same or be only slightly cooler or warmer. Traditional houses were, on average, in compliance with the 80% acceptability band of the adaptive comfort standard. The study investigated that traditional building techniques and materials, in combination with consideration of microclimate, were found to play a significant role in regulating the indoor environment.

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