COVID-19 has sharply highlighted the infection control issues in residential long-term care (RLTC) settings and the toll taken by the virus not only in terms of mortality and morbidity, but also as in terms of social isolation, loneliness, and fear and anxiety.
Project
Infection control and quality of life in the built environment
”The very infectious nature of COVID-19 makes it difficult to prevent and control in residential care settings. The transmission of the virus into and within nursing homes is multifactorial. People in nursing homes were disproportionately likely to contract it compared to their peer-age-group. The mortality rates seen in nursing homes were also higher, this is in the context of a more medically vulnerable and frail population.
COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel: Examination of Measures to 2021 - Report to the Minister for Health
In 2020, TrinityHaus, a research centre in the School of Engineering (Trinity College Dublin) was awarded an SFI grant (as part of Phase 2 – Rapid COVID-19 Call) to explore the convergence and divergence between built environment features that improve infection control and those that support quality of life in long term residential settings for older people.
The research utilized a mixed methods approach, comprised of the following:
- Steering Committee feedback.
- Stakeholder Workshops.
- Literature Review: Quality of Life and Infection Control.
- Expert Interviews: 20 interviews conducted with various key stakeholders, service providers and advocates in the area of RLTC.
- 12 Irish case studies.
- International case studies.
Aims
To examine the convergence and diverge between built environment features that improve infection control and those that support quality of life.
This study will provide key findings and recommendations to inform the retrofit of existing residential long-term care (RLTC) and also the design of new-build settings that balance infection control with quality of life, while also contributing to greater resilience for residents and staff.
Project Objectives
To identify key built environment infection control issues and key built environment quality of life issues for residents in RLTC.
To understand the convergence and divergence between built-environment related infection control and quality of life and identify the main design and operational measures that balance these concerns.
To provide key findings and recommendations to inform the retrofit of existing RLTC and also the design of new-build settings that balance infection control with quality of life, while also contributing to greater resilience for residents and staff.
To increase awareness of the importance of RLTC built environment and design and disseminate findings and recommendations from this project.
Methodology
The research methodology for the project is underpinned by meaningful stakeholder engagement, which aims to capture the lived experiences and insights of key stakeholder groups, and to ensure their feedback is threaded through to the final research findings and recommendations which seeks to inform the retrofit of existing long term residential care existing and the design of new settings.
Outputs
This study provides key findings and recommendations to inform the retrofit of
existing RLTC and also the design of new-build settings that balance infection
control with quality of life, while also contributing to greater resilience for residents and staff.