Application of a Prediction Model for Ambient Noise Levels and Acoustical Capacity for Living Rooms in Nursing Homes Hosting Older People with Dementia

Abstract

Acoustic comfort is becoming an increasingly important dimension for practitioners in the context of design of care facilities for older adults, namely nursing homes. Defining the quality of these spaces based on room acoustics criteria alone might be challenging if aspects related to their functioning (e.g., speech-based activities) are not taken into account. The acoustical capacity concept has been previously proposed for eating establishments as a way to provide a quality assessment based on both physical characteristics of the space and the perceived quality of verbal communication. In this study, a revised version of a prediction model for ambient noise levels based on occupancy and an estimation of acoustical capacity are proposed for nursing homes hosting people with dementia, and the corresponding parameters of slope, group size and absorption per person are optimized for the specific application, using a Nursing Home in Flanders (Belgium) participating to the AcustiCare project as case study. Results show that, compared to normal eating establishments, lower absorption per person values and higher group size values should be used in nursing homes to reduce errors in ambient noise levels prediction. Furthermore, using a retrofit intervention carried out in the living room of the Nursing Home, the enhanced acoustical capacity of the space was analysed. Results, in this case, show that, prior to the retrofit intervention, the acoustical capacity was already exceeded with average occupancy (i.e., saturated in normal functioning conditions), while the reduction in reverberation time achieved with the retrofit increased considerably the acoustical capacity of the space, shifting the quality of verbal communication in the living room from insufficient to satisfactory.

The Perspectives of Professional Caregivers on Implementing Audio-Based Technology in Residential Dementia Care

“…Therefore, ABT should be designed in a way so they can also offer moments of silence in the care space to provide opportunities where residents and professional caregivers can unwind without experiencing unwanted auditory stimuli. This builds on research on acoustics in care facilities that stresses the need for regulated ambient noise levels in care environments to reduce stress and to prevent agitation among residents and staff [ 61 ]. With new forms of ABT, such as “sound zone technology”, individual listening experiences could be provided in communal areas to limit sound disturbances between individual listeners through a specific speaker setup [ 62 ].…”

Influence of Artificial Intelligence in IV Infusion Therapy

“…However, their deployment in clinical practice may require rigorous validation and regulatory approval to ensure accuracy and safety. [15], [16].…”

Smart Intravenous Infusion Dosing System

“…The medical staff was stationed in front of the patient rooms, which implies a significantly shorter response time, but because of that, the communication between the medical staff was minimized. The influence of the daycare center structure in nursing homes on the communication between staff and patients is presented in [42]. Acoustics affect the quality of verbal communication, especially in patients who have speech difficulties as a result of a stroke or in patients with dementia for whom even a minimal noise level affects the ability to communicate.…”