GREEN: Cool & Care—Research and Development of Greening Measures in Nursing Homes in Austria. Technical and Social Interconnections

Abstract

According to demographic data, the percentage of elderly people within the population is growing, representing a vulnerable group to the effects of increasing heat, but little attention has been paid to developed adaptation measures. In addition, many older people leave their familiar homes and live in nursing homes. The person-centred care pursues creating spaces of high living quality for these people in nursing homes, to which plants and greenery can contribute. Greening is also considered an effective climate change adaptation measure. To create healthy conditions for this vulnerable group of elderly, both technical and social factors must be considered, and accordingly, a successful solution can only be achieved in an interdisciplinary way. The research and development of the project “Green: Cool & Care” dealt with this outset from a building physics, social, and nursing science perspective, and concepts to integrate greening measures in nursing homes were developed jointly by researchers, planners, staff, volunteers, and residents. For this purpose, measurement campaigns of air quality parameters, individual interviews and focus groups, as well as co-creative workshops were conducted aiming to include the objective building conditions as well as the subjective needs in developing and, in a further step, implementing greening measures.

Knowledge Structure and Evolution of Elderly Care Services: A Visualized Analysis

“…A patient-accessible information system that cut down redundant treatments can help nursing homes to undertake parts of medical care [77]. Given the fact that the frail aged leave their families and live in nursing homes, indoor environments [78], adequate nourishment [79], and pain relief management [80] of the nursing homes are tested by the scholars. Migrant caregivers and robots are valid substitutes for shortage nursing workers [44].…”

“…They are likely to suffer from increasing heat, poor quality food, physical deterioration and mental diseases. Halbmayer et al pursue to create spaces of high living quality, increasing plants and greenery by technical means [78]. Eslami et al design a clinical decision support system to promote general practitioner to adhere to the quality indicators for assessing care of frail elders [81].…”