Light as therapy for sleep disorders and depression in older adults
2008
Clinical Geriatrics
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 16
Pages 25-31
Author(s): Sloane, P. D., Figueiro, M.G., Cohen, L.
Added September 2014
Light therapy for insomnia in older adults
2008
Clinics in Geriatric Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 24
Pages 139-149
Author(s): Gammack, J. K.
Added September 2014
Ultraviolet lighting during orthopaedic surgery and the rate of infection
2007
The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery
Journal Article
Issue 9
Volume 89
Pages 1935-1940
Author(s): Ritter, M. A., Olberding, E. M., Malinzak, R. A.
Added September 2014
Post-Occupancy Evaluation of a Transformed Nursing Home: The First Four Green House Settings
2013
Journal of Housing For the Elderly
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 23
Pages 304-334
Author(s): Cutler, L. J., Kane, R. A.
To study how well the physical environments of four Green Houses® served the residents, staff, and visitors and to develop recommendations for similar small-house nursing home projects. Longitudinal post-occupancy evaluation of four houses using mixed-methods, including behavioral mapping, checklist ratings of individual bedrooms and bathrooms, place-centered time scans, environmental tracers,...
Added September 2014
Evidence-based design for infants and staff in the neonatal intensive care unit
2004
Clinics in Perinatology
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 31
Pages 299–311
Author(s): Shepley, M. M.
There has been a marked increase in evidence-based studies relating to neonatal intensive care units in pediatric healthcare literature. While it is acknowledged that clinical, operational, and social dimensions play the most significant role in healing, the physical environment has also been universally identified as a critical factor. Conscientious architects are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of design decisions on the sensory environment of the neonatal intensive care unit.
Added July 2014
A decade of adult intensive care unit design: a study of the physical design features of the best-practice examples
2006
Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 29
Pages 282-311
Author(s): Rashid, M., Abushousheh, A.
This article reports a study of the physical design characteristics of a set of adult intensive care units (ICUs), built between 1993 and 2003. These ICUs were recognized as the best-practice examples by the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and the American Institute of Architects.
Added July 2014
Perceived hospital environment quality indicators: A study of orthopaedic units
2006
Journal of Environmental Psychology
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 26
Pages 321-334
Author(s): Fornara, F., Bonaiuto, M., Bonnes, M.
The field of healthcare design has increasingly recognized the need for building environments that are more ‘‘user-centered,’’ but spatial–physical features have not typically been included in assessment surveys on patient satisfaction.
Added July 2014
Long-term care physical environments- effect on medication errors
2012
International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 25
Pages 431-441
Author(s): Mahmood, A., Chaudhury, H., Gaumont, A., Rust, T.
Medication errors contribute significantly to patient morbidity and mortality, and are associated with considerable healthcare costs, as well. The human and financial costs following preventable medical errors are high; data in the United States suggest an estimated 44,000 inpatients die each year from preventable medical errors. Nationally, preventable adverse event costs have been estimated at $17 billion.
Added July 2014
Lighting for improving balance in older adults with and without risk for falls
2012
Age & Ageing
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 41
Pages 392–395
Author(s): Figueiro, M. G., Gras, L. Z., Rea, M. S., Plitnick, B., Rea, M. S.
Sensory information about self-position and location of objects in the environment helps maintain balance, together with sensory input from the vestibular and somatosensory systems. The dependence on visual information for the maintenance of postural stability and control increases with age due to age-related changes that occur in the vestibular and somatosensory systems. Studies show that lighting enhances veridical visual information about the environment, and this could help older adults maintain better balance and be associated with less falls.
Added May 2014
The effects of refurbishment on residents' quality of life and wellbeing in two Swedish residential care facilities
2009
Health & Place
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 15
Pages 717–724
Author(s): Falk, H., Wijk, H., Persson, L.-O
The prevalence of elderly people with cognitive impairment in Swedish residential care facilities has been estimated to be approximately 50%, usually resulting in integrated populations with both cognitively intact and impaired residents. The physical environment must respond to the changing characteristics of their residents and variations within individuals over time to be able to provide for more than a single stage of fragility.
Added May 2014
Psychiatric Ward Renovation: Staff Perception and Patient Behavior
1992
Environment and Behavior
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 24
Pages 66-84
Author(s): Devlin, A. S.
Added May 2014
Life Safety Code Comparison
2013
American Society for Healthcare Engineering
Journal Article
Author(s): Crowley, M. A., Harper, J. E.
Added May 2014
Effect of light treatment on sleep and circadian rhythms in demented nursing home patients
2002
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 50
Pages 282-289
Author(s): Ancoli-Israel, S., Martin, J. L., Kripke, D. F., Marler, M., Klauber, M. R.
The disturbed sleep seen in nursing home residents may be due to changes in circadian rhythms. Human circadian rhythms are biological cycles of about 24 hours that include sleep/wake, body temperature, and melatonin secretion cycles. A second reason for sleep disturbances in this population may be decreased exposure to bright light. Bright light (≥ 2,000 lux) appears to be one of the most powerful synchronizers of circadian rhythms, directly influencing melatonin secretion, sleep/wake patterns, and other circadian rhythms.
Added April 2014
Increased Light Exposure Consolidates Sleep and Strengthens Circadian Rhythms in Severe Alzheimer's Disease Patients Increased Light Exposure Consolidates Sleep and Strengthens Circadian Rhythms in Severe Alzheimer's Disease Patients
2003
Behavioral Sleep Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 1
Pages 22-36
Author(s): Ancoli-Israel, S., Gehrman, P., Martin, J. L., Shochat, T., Marler, M., Corey-Bloom, J., Levi, L.
Studies with examined levels of illumination in adults have shown that the average level and the average amount of bright light exposure is lower in the elderly compared to younger adults, particularly in patients who are institutionalized with dementia. Although insufficient light exposure has been implied as a cause of sleep fragmentation, until recently there had been little direct evidence for this correlation. A recent study suggested that daytime light exposure impacts both nighttime sleep consolidation and timing of peak activity level (Shochat et al., 2000). In an attempt to improve sleep in nursing home patients, the current laboratory study exposed patients with mixed types of dementia to 2,500 lux for two hours a day for 10 days either in the morning or in the evening and tested the impact of the bright lighting on sleep and circadian rhythms.
Added April 2014
Physical Environment: The Major Determinant Towards the Creation of a Healing Environment?
2011
Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences
Journal Article
Volume 30
Pages 1951-1958
Author(s): Abbas, M. Y., Ghazali, R.,
Prior research suggests that the pediatric population’s heightened perception of the quality of the physical environment can have an impact on the creation of a healing environment.
Added April 2014
A novel night lighting system for postural control and stability in seniors
2008
Lighting Research and Technology
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 40
Pages 111-126
Author(s): Figueiro, M. G., Gras, L., Qi, R., Rizzo, P., Rea, M., Rea, M. S.
Age-related changes may result in impaired balance control, and thus can lead to increase risk of falls among the elderly. Visual information provides a spatial reference for self-position and location of obstacles within a person’s environment. Lack of this information results in increased body sway. In addition, low ambient light levels reduce postural control. Therefore, this study investigated the effectiveness of a novel self-luminous light emitting diode (LED) night-lighting system that provided linear spatial orientation cues plus low ambient lighting for enhancing postural control in healthy seniors.
Added April 2014
Quality Improvement Practices: Enhancing Quality of Life During Mealtimes
2001
Journal for Nurses in Staff Development
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 17
Pages 131-136
Author(s): Evans, B. C., Crogan, N. L.
Studies identified that malnutrition affects up to 54% of the 1.5 million Americans over age 65 who reside in the nation’s 20,000 nursing homes and can lead to death or chronic disability. Physical causes of malnutrition include altered sensation, medication effects, and impaired feeding ability. Psychological causes include cognitive impairment, depression, and social isolation. Mealtime is also a very important time of day for residents of nursing homes since it is a time for socialization, remembering family and past events, and enjoying the sensory experience of eating. The mealtime experience can enhance the quality of life for residents in nursing homes.
Added April 2014
Quality Physical Environment in Paediatric Wards: Designer’s Creation Versus Users’ Satisfaction
2012
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences
Journal Article
Author(s): Ghazali, R., Abbas, M. Y.
Prior research has revealed that an optimal healing environment can enhance a child’s quality of life by supporting the healing process. However, little has been done to identify specific design features within an optimal healing environment that either impede or aid the healing process.
Added April 2014
The Effect of Environmental Design on Reducing Nursing Errors and Increasing Efficiency in Acute Care Settings: A Review and Analysis of the Literature
2009
Environment and Behavior
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 41
Pages 755-786
Author(s): Chaudhury, H., Mahmood, A., Valente, M.
In acute care settings, the physical environment plays an important role in staff efficiency and patient safety. Some research suggests that poor environments can result in staff stress, anxiety, and distractions due to noise; artificial lighting; improper or inadequate ventilation; and disorienting layouts of nursing units. There is less research on how environmental factors affect nursing staff health, effectiveness, errors, and job satisfaction.
Added April 2014
Nurses’ Perception of Single-Occupancy Versus Multioccupancy Rooms in Acute Care Environments: An Exploratory Comparative Assessment
2006
Applied Nursing Research
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 19
Pages 118-125
Author(s): Chaudhury, H., Mahmood, A., Valente, M.
As people are living longer and the baby boomers age, the demand for hospital beds will increase. As new facilities are built to handle this influx of patients, the challenge for hospital designers and administrators is to design patient rooms that promote therapeutic goals, foster positive patient outcomes, and function as intensive care rooms. Recent research suggests that single-occupancy rooms are more suitable for infection control and patient care than multioccupancy rooms. However, no research has been done about nursing staff members’ perception of single-occupancy and multioccupancy patient rooms in acute care settings as it relates to patient care.
Added April 2014
