Nationwide study
Objectives:​
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(OBU) Quantify the recurring risk of summertime overheating in around 50 care settings across England using environmental monitoring and resident and staff surveys. Explore existing barriers and opportunities to adapting to a warmer climate.
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(OBU) In a subset of care settings, investigate parameters related to managing summer heat and their interactions.
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Assess the impact of heat exposure on the health of residents. This will include a cost/benefit analysis exploring the cost of building adaptations against the improved quality of life expectancy by mitigating heat risks.
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Develop a building stock model of the UK’s care provision able to predict future overheating risks under a range of future climate change scenarios. Evaluate the effectiveness of overheating mitigation strategies and policies.
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Expand the pilot project's stakeholder community to further explore organisational capacity and structures, and how these influence action and policy. Generate best practice guidance for practitioners.
The project will build a strategic, multi-stakeholder platform which will include all those involved in creating and providing healthy, climate-resilient care settings. The project will generate impact along three main pathways:
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PATHWAY 1: Building construction practitioners responsible for the design and delivery of healthy care homes will be provided with improved climate change adaptation design and decision making tools. This will enable the development of best practice guidance provided by professional organisations and associations.
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PATHWAY 2: Policymakers will be provided with evidence-based recommendations to help revise regulations and policies relating to thermal comfort and energy efficiency in care settings.
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PATHWAY 3: Care home managers, frontline staff and residents will be provided with best practice guidelines for the best operation of care environments in a warming climate.
