Japan has been well on the way to an aging society and entered a super-aged society at 21.5 percent aging rate in 2007, and the facility demand for the elderly is increasing rapidly. More careful control of indoor environment is needed for the elderly, since the autonomous control ability, recuperative and immunological power of them are poorer than healthy people. It is critical to understand the facility managing system and the actual condition of indoor environment in order to improve quality of life such as health and comfort and to prevent infectious diseases in care welfare facilities for the elderly.
Although the related facilities are in high demand, the actual situation of indoor environment has not been clear because there has not been a regulation and control law at all. Cross-sectional study utilizing the questionnaire survey on special nursing homes all over the country was conducted to clarify the management, maintenance and actual condition of indoor environment and building equipment in 2013.
Survey results found that average floor area is 3000m2 or more, mean building age is 18 years and facilities of more than 30% have experienced extension and renovation work. While the facilities of conventional type (with multiple bed room) account for more than 60%, unit care type has been popular in facilities built after the 2000s and the hybrid type combined with conventional and unit care type is not also negligible due to consistent high demand for multiple bed room.
As might be expected, area (climate) and facility age make a difference to HVAC equipment and this study also confirmed it. As the unit care type increases associating with government guidance, the installation of individual air conditioning equipment also expanded countrywide due to the benefits of initial and operating costs, energy conservation and high control performance. While about 60% of facilities have criteria for the air temperature, criteria for humidity and ventilation are in lower proportion. It is certain that facilities are much more taking care of infectious diseases and dryness since humidity and ventilation criteria are in higher ratio in winter season than in the others. Although they have obviously interests in air quality, hygrothermal environment and energy conservation, their recognition of countermeasure and execution seems not to be sufficient. In addition, there was a problem in knowledge and recognition of facility managers for air conditioning equipment, for example since a large difference was observed in the response rate concerning a central type of ventilation and a central HVAC system.
In order to secure and maintain the favorable indoor environment and hygiene in the elderly facilities, it seems appropriate to remark that a professional administrator should be employed as a facility manager, and they should be educated and provided with the related knowledge and techniques.
