Care dependency among older women in Austrian nursing homes: The role of outdoor temperatures

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between outdoor temperatures and care dependency degree among female nursing home residents. A secondary data analysis of data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted. Data from 345 female nursing home residents in two federal states in southern Austria were collected. Data on the degree of care dependency, dementia and age were collected from the participating female residents. Outdoor temperature data were provided by the Austrian Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics. The results of the regression analysis show that the outdoor temperatures significantly affect the degree of care dependency. As the outdoor temperature decreases, the CDS score increases, which indicates that the number of independent woman enhance. For nursing home practice, we strongly recommend establishing heat plans. Representative prospective studies need to be carried out to investigate the causality between temperature and the degree of care dependency.