Flooring
Hownoisecontrolcan help promote residentwellbeing
Good acoustic performance is at the heart of creating an inclusive and comfortable space. Whatever the age of the building, there are a number of ways of controlling noise in a care home, says Joe Hurst, key account manager – social care at Altro
The control of noise is particularly important in care homes. Quiet, peaceful surroundings are necessary to aid recovery from illness and to promote day-to-day wellbeing in residents, whilst preventing transfer of sound at night is essential to avoid disruption of sleep. Noisy communal spaces are also problematic, as they can elevate stress and dissatisfaction among residents, staff and visitors. Most importantly, poor acoustic performance of a care home can have profound social, physical and psychological effects on those with a hearing impairment.
According to Action on Hearing Loss, there are about 11 million people with hearing loss across the UK (one in six of the population); more than 40 per cent of people aged over 50 years old have hearing loss and this increases to 71 per cent of those over the age of 70. As a result, age-related hearing loss of this type (presbycusis) impacts on a resident’s ability to engage effectively
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with staff, visitors and others sharing their environment.1
It is estimated that age-related hearing loss leads to communication problems for about 37 per cent of people between the ages of 61 and 70 and becomes an increasing problem as we age, with about 60 per cent of those aged 71 to 80 experiencing difficulties with communication as a result of age-related hearing impairment.2
Communication difficulties can leave people feeling socially isolated as they struggle to listen and take part in conversations. Trying to understand what someone is saying in a noisy environment, where background sound reduces the intelligibility of speech, can leave a hearing-impaired person confused or frustrated and makes it difficult to safeguard privacy. This is particularly true for people with dementia, who may need additional support to help them interpret and navigate their surroundings. Those with hearing aids may find that
background noise reduces the effectiveness of their devices and Action on Hearing Loss stresses the fact that speech intelligibility can be particularly challenging in those for whom English is not their first language. A common response when
encountering people with hearing loss or when we find ourselves in noisy surroundings is to speak louder to make ourselves heard, but in open plan or communal spaces in care homes this can exacerbate the problem.
The term ‘Lombard effect’ describes the phenomenon of escalating noise arising from the involuntary tendency to increase vocal effort when speaking in noisy spaces to enhance the audibility of voices (see Figure 1). The result is that the acoustic performance of the space deteriorates, forcing individuals to raise their voices still further.
So, in a care home setting where a number of residents may be experiencing hearing loss, effective
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • March 2020
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