Cross-National Comparison of Environmental Factors Important to Facility-Based Senior Living

Wang, Zhe

doi:10.1177/1937586720901344

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Second, our participants were older adults residing in RCFs in Northeast China; thus, our findings are not easily generalizable to other populations and geographic locations. Previous research has shown that there are differences between different cultures in terms of preference; for example, older adults in the United States are more inclined to emphasize the importance of residents’ rooms while Chinese residents are more interested in natural lighting that could fulfill their psychological needs (Z. Wang, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous research has shown that there are differences between different cultures in terms of preference; for example, older adults in the United States are more inclined to emphasize the importance of residents' rooms while Chinese residents are more interested in natural lighting that could fulfill their psychological needs (Z. Wang, 2020). Third, the detailed needs and views of different age groups and genders with respect to the physical environment were not analyzed in this study; we hope to study these elements in the future to comprehensively explore the interactions among physical factors.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although many studies have established a correlation between living environment, health, and well-being, they mainly focused on adults, while research related to older adults has been relatively recent (Garin et al, 2014; Joseph et al, 2015; Z. Wang, 2020).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Influence of Physical Environmental Factors on Older Adults in Residential Care Facilities in Northeast China

Zhang

2021

HERD

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Objectives: To evaluate the aspects of the objective physical environments of five residential care facilities (RCFs) for older adults and the residents’ subjective perceptions of these aspects. Background: The physical environment in RCFs impacts the health and comfort of the residents. However, the design standards for RCFs lack details which can result in insufficient living conditions. Methods: Through questionnaire surveys, older adults’ satisfaction on the degree of the light, acoustic, and thermal environment in the facilities was obtained. Indoor lighting condition was measured by an illuminance meter in lux, sound pressure level (SPL) with sound level meters in dBA, and temperature in °C with a temperature data logger, and an audiometer was used to test the hearing of the older adults. Results: A total of 480 questionnaires were obtained. Results show that (a) older adults need an appropriate light environment to avoid the negative impact of limited light, (b) poor acoustic environment could affect their mood and health, and (c) when the room temperature is within the range of 20–26 °C (68–78.8 °F), they feel most comfortable. When the appropriate temperature and humidity, balanced illumination, and SPL meet the needs of older adults, it can provide a more comfortable physical environment for them. Conclusion: Examining the interaction between the physical environmental factors that affect older adults in RCFs is important for the design of residential housing and provides more theoretical support for research on the influence of the physical environment on the quality of life of older adults.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Influence of Physical Environmental Factors on Older Adults in Residential Care Facilities in Northeast China

Zhang

2021

HERD

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“…Despite having roots in North America, AL is emerging as a mainstream model and philosophy of care for older people and is increasingly being adopted in ageing Asian countries [14][15][16][17]. With the changing demographic structures in many industrialised countries whereby the need for residential care services has increased dramatically, AL will emerge as an increasingly popular long-term care model due to its privacy-and autonomypreserving characteristics [18].…”

Section: The Global Phenomenon Of Ageing Population and The Need For Service Diversification In Long-term Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Governance of Assisted Living in Long-Term Care: A Systematic Literature Review

Poh

Tan

Lim

2021

IJERPH

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Assisted living (AL) is an emerging model of care in countries where long-term care needs are escalating, with emphasis given to promoting independence and autonomy among the residents to achieve active and healthy ageing. Unlike established nursing homes, the governance of AL is nebulous due to its novelty and diverse nature of operations in many jurisdictions. A comprehensive understanding of how AL is governed globally is important to inform regulatory policies as the adoption of AL increases. A systematic literature review was undertaken to understand the different levels of regulations that need to be instituted to govern AL effectively. A total of 65 studies, conducted between 1990 to 2020, identified from three major databases (PubMed, Medline, and Scopus), were included. Using a thematic synthesis analytical approach, we identified macro-level regulations (operational authorisation, care quality assessment and infrastructural requirements), meso-level regulations (operational management, staff management and distribution, service provision and care monitoring, and crisis management), and micro-level regulations (clear criteria for resident admission and staff hiring) that are important in the governance of AL. Large-scale adoption of AL without compromising the quality, equity and affordability would require clear provisions of micro-, meso- and macro-level regulations.

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“…Importantly, outdoor environments for physical activities (e.g., walking routes) should be provided on facility sites to promote residents' active living. With good natural ventilation, the outdoor environments may be developed into safe common areas with low risk of infection, which are important to institutionalized senior living (Wang, 2020). The rules of social distancing should be followed, and more research is needed to promote residents' active living during the difficult time of facility lockdown.…”

Section: At the Site Levelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use the Environment to Prevent and Control COVID-19 in Senior-Living Facilities: An Analysis of the Guidelines Used in China

Wang

2020

HERD

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Objective: To identify the environmental factors essential for infection control in senior-living facilities. Background: In the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults are more likely to be infected and develop serious outcomes than young people. Worldwide, senior-living facilities face a battle to protect their residents. Compared with age-related declines, the built environment is more modifiable and can be used for infection control. Methods: This research conducted content analysis of the guidelines on COVID-19 control issued by the State Council of China in February 2020 for senior-living facilities. Six senior-living facility managers in China were interviewed and shared their experiences using these guidelines. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to identify the essential environmental factors for infection control. Results: Environmental factors suggested in the guidelines were analyzed for three groups of infection-control strategies: keep COVID-19 from entering the facility, prevent COVID-19 spread in the facility, and manage infection and illness. Key topics of experience using the guidelines were identified, including residents’ needs for social interaction and the difficulties of providing dedicated air-conditioning and circulation systems. Based on these analyses, from the perspective of environmental design, environmental factors essential for COVID-19 control in senior-living facilities were summarized at the site, building, and room levels. Conclusion: Proper planning and design of the built environment promote strategies for infection control in senior-living facilities. Findings can be used to guide the new design, renovation, and modification of senior-living facilities for COVID-19 control and future public health emergencies.

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Cross-National Comparison of Environmental Factors Important to Facility-Based Senior Living

Cited by 8 publications

References 48 publications

The Influence of Physical Environmental Factors on Older Adults in Residential Care Facilities in Northeast China

The Influence of Physical Environmental Factors on Older Adults in Residential Care Facilities in Northeast China

Governance of Assisted Living in Long-Term Care: A Systematic Literature Review

Use the Environment to Prevent and Control COVID-19 in Senior-Living Facilities: An Analysis of the Guidelines Used in China

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