Why temperature control is important in care and nursing homes

Care homes and nursing homes are more important than perhaps a lot of people give them credit for. After all, while most people when getting older would prefer to stay at home, at a certain point it often becomes too challenging to do so. Simple tasks like making repairs, buying food, and even maintaining a basic level of mobility gradually become more difficult with age, and each of us has a reasonably decent chance of ending up in care facilities at some point during our lives. Temperature control in these facilities is vitally important – here are just a few reasons why!

Older people feel the cold more

Here’s something you may not have known – as we age, our skin actually becomes a little thinner. As a result, it’s common for the silver generation to feel the cold to a greater extent. (So all those old jokes about older people complaining about draughts has scientific basis!) Even a one or two-degree change is easily detectable, and women often feel the cold more – especially with their feet. Similarly, even a small draught from a door left open somewhere in a nursing home is quickly felt and complaints will be aired about it.

It’s important, therefore, that the temperature controls are managed properly within a care or nursing home. There is usually a central control system for the entire building covering several shared open areas as well as private rooms. On occasion, there will also be individual systems to adjust the heating inside a room, but this is less likely to be the case other than with the most expensive, customised heating systems.

Older people cannot keep warm by moving around as much

We’re often told as younger people to get up and moving around to keep warm when it’s colder. This gets the blood circulating and avoids cold settling around us. The heart is then pumping away faster and we’re better able to stave off the cold. It’s also useful for better overall circulation.

As we’ve touched upon above, mobility becomes a key issue for us as we grow older. Many hip replacement patients stay in care homes and find it difficult to walk for any period of time. Also, the knees often show signs of wear over the decades or arthritic hands make it difficult to grasp a walker or an arm rail to steady themselves while getting some exercise. For each of these reasons, older people aren’t able to warm up by being proactive about it.

Relatives and other visitors won’t be pleased if temperatures are a problem

No son or daughter wants to hear that their beloved mother or father is complaining that they’re always cold. Even in a care home where they’re likely to be involved in more activities, it’s possible to get the chills when the building is not heated throughout to an adequate temperature. The lack of direct control over the heating can lead to a feeling of a loss of independence with friends and family certainly hearing about it.

Lastly, it’s also worth noting that as well as being sensitive to the cold, the elderly have weaker immune systems too. Therefore, keeping a warmer care or nursing home directly affects how often the older generation get sick and the severity of it. Greater susceptibility to colds, flu and pneumonia happens when they aren’t able to get warm, which is why people tend to get sick more often in the winter months.

If you are concerned about the high utility bills that come with heating a large building, contact us today for a quote on an energy saving heat pump installation. With over 25 years of experience behind us, we have become the go-to company for heating, ventilation and air conditioning services. You can click here for a free quote, or call us on 01282 863 825!

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