There are thousands of care homes across the UK, all providing important support for elderly residents who are no longer able to live at home. Ensuring that each part of your care home is properly maintained and focused on providing comfort to residents is essential.
Some people may move to a care or nursing home because they have mobility issues. Others might be struggling with a condition like dementia. Creating the perfect environment that suits all residents is a challenge. While that will include having qualified staff on-site to tend to their needs, it also means focusing on comfort. One area that is of particular importance in care homes is temperature control and the quality of air.
Even minor changes in ambient temperature can make an older person feel uncomfortable.
Older People Feel Colder
There are several reasons why someone living in a care home might feel colder than we would expect. As we get older, for instance, the skin tends to thin which means we are more susceptible to changes in temperature. If someone has circulatory problems it can mean they feel cold despite it being a sunny, warm day.
Those with dementia can also have an altered perception of what cold is and how they feel it which can be challenging for carers.
Older people often have a more compromised immune system which means they are susceptible to colds and flu. Even a slight change in temperature may be noticed, especially with the extremities such as hands and feet. Care homes need to be able to have control over areas like temperature as well as features such as air conditioning. Good air quality means that bugs and bacteria are less likely to circulate and cause infections.
Perception of temperature can vary between individuals which makes greater control even more important. Maintaining the right temperature means that, for example, residents get a good night’s sleep which is beneficial to their health and wellbeing rather than struggling with a room that is either too hot or too cold.
Older People Are Less Mobile
Another factor that care homes have to consider is that, on the whole, residents are less mobile. Most people will get up and move around if they are too cold, but this is not always an option for the elderly. Moving also boosts circulation and keeps us warm. If we are static, we can suddenly feel the chill.
The good news is that today’s air conditioning and temperature control systems are highly sophisticated and can be tailored to individual care homes. You can have one control for the shared community areas in your home and individual thermostats and air-con for separate rooms. This gives you a much greater degree of flexibility.
It’s not just residents who will appreciate a good air-con system and temperature control – sons and daughters will want to be sure that their mums and dads are being looked after properly. A more modern air conditioning system can also save your care home money on utility bills as it can be more efficiently used.
To discuss air conditioning in any setting talk to the experts at Climate Zone today.