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RLTC and COVID-19: Role of the Built Environment in Balancing Infection Control and Quality of Life
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Research Pillar: Healthy and Inclusive Places
Project Name/Title/Acronym: RLTC and COVID-19: Role of the Built Environment in Balancing Infection Control and Quality of Life
Funding Body: Science Foundation Ireland
Project Partners: TrinityHaus (TCD) and Tallaght University Hospital
Project Timeframe: December 2020 - May 2022
Key Output(s): Key Findings and Recommendations Report: See here.
Project Description:
COVID-19 has sharply highlighted the infection control issues in residential long-term care (RLTC) settings and the toll taken by the virus not only in terms of mortality and morbidity, and fear and anxiety.
In 2020, TrinityHaus was awarded an SFI grant (as part of Phase 2 - Rapid COVID-19 Call) to explore the convergence and divergence between built environment features that improve infection control and those that support quality of life in long-term residential settings for older people.
This study will provide a set of key findings and recommendations to inform the retrofit of existing residential long-term care (RLTC) and also the design of new-build settings that balance infection control with quality of life, while also contributing to greater resilience for residents and staff.
Leads:
Collaborators:
Funder(s): 
The key research output was a Key Findings and Recommendations report.
All key findings and recommendations can also be explored on our project website.
Publications:
- Murphy E, Burke E, O’Donoghue J, Xidous D, Grey T, Kennelly S, O’Neill D. 2021. Built environment of nursing homes and infection control and pandemic preparedness. (See here)
- Burke E, O’Donoghue J, Kennelly S, Xidous D, Grey T, O’Neill D. 2021. Mapping quality of life domains in nursing homes. (See here)
- Murphy E, Burke E, O’Donoghue J, Grey T, Xidous D, Kennelly S, Anderson D, O’Neill D. 2021. Nursing home design and COVID pandemic resilience. (See here)
Presentations
- Interviews with Experts in the Area of Residential Long-Term Care: Built Environment, Quality of Life and Infection Control from a Universal Design Approach", 10th International Health Humanities Consortium Conference, Virtual Conference hosted by the Center for Health Humanities (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, USA), The Center for Literature and Medicine (Hiram College, USA) and the Health, Medicine and Society Program (Lehigh University, USA), March 2022.
- Nursing Home Design and COVID Pandemic Resilience. 17th International Congress of the European Geriatric Medicine Society, Megaron Athens International Conference Centre (MAICC), Athens, Greece (and online), October 2021.
- Mapping Quality of Life Domains in Nursing Homes. 17th International Congress of the European Geriatric Medicine Society, Megaron Athens International Conference Centre (MAICC), Athens, Attica, Greece (and online), October 2021
This project looked at internal air quality therefore addressing some issues ‘Healthy and Inclusive Places’ and also covered issues around heating and energy conservation and thus linked with ‘Climate Action and Sustainability’. Through the research and engagement process adopted, the project also supported the 4th TrinityHaus pillar - Co-creation, collaboration and stakeholder engagement
Nationally, this project supports the ‘National Dementia Strategy’, the ‘Housing Options for Our Aging Population Policy’ and the ‘Housing for all’ plan. Internationally, it supports various UN Sustainable Development Goals as indicated below:
If you would like more information on this research project, please contact Research Fellow Tom Grey at tom.grey@tcd.ie.