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... At the end of the questionnaire, there was room for remarks. The app then presented the soundscape dimension that fitted the answers filled in, and the nursing staff had to indicate whether they agreed or not (van den Bosch, 2015). See a full description of the app and pictures in Supplementary Appendix. ...
Introduction
Soundscapes in nursing homes are often suboptimal for residents. This can cause them feeling anxious and unsafe, or develop behavioral and psychological problems. Residents with dementia cannot adapt nursing home environments to their needs due to cognitive and physical limitations. It is up to the staff of psycho-geriatric wards to improve the soundscape. We evaluated the effect of the sound awareness intervention Mobile Soundscape Appraisal and Recording Technology (MoSART+) on soundscapes in nursing homes.
Methods
The MoSART+ intervention was carried out in four nursing homes and took three months in each home. The MoSART+ intervention involved training ambassadors, assessing the soundscape with the MoSART application by the nursing staff to raise their sound awareness on random time points, discussing the measurements, and implementing micro-interventions. Soundscapes were assessed from 0 to 100 on four attributes: pleasantness, eventfulness, complexity, and range of affordances. Based on these scores, soundscapes were classified in four dimensions: calm, lively, boring, and chaotic. Nursing staff graded the environment on a scale of 0 to 10. T-test and Z-tests were used to analyze data.
Results
Staff recorded 1882 measurements with the MoSART app. “People,” “music, TV, and radio,” and “machines and appliances” were the most prevalent sound sources before and after the implementation of micro-interventions. Post-implementation of micro-interventions, soundscapes were pleasant (median 69.0; IQR 54.0–81.0), of low complexity (33.0; 18.0–47.0), uneventful (27.0; 14.0–46.5), and gave moderate affordances (50.0; 35.0–67.0). Changes in attributes were statistically significant ( p < 0.01). The proportion of the dimension calm increased (z = 12.7, p < 0.01), the proportion of chaotic decreased (z = 15.0, p < 0.01), and the proportion of lively decreased not statically significant (z = 0.68, p = 0.79). The proportion of boring was unchanged. The proportion of grades ≥6 increased after implementation of the micro-interventions (z = 15.3, p < 0.01). The micro-interventions focused on removing or reducing disturbing sounds and were unique for each nursing home.
Discussion
The MoSART+ intervention resulted in a statistically significantly improvement of soundscapes, and more favorable evaluations of the nursing staff. The intervention empowered staff to adapt soundscapes. Nursing homes can improve soundscapes by raising sound awareness among staff.
Trial Registration
Netherlands National Trial Register (NL6831).
... Such a trend could also be observed in the SW3 results, when moving from San Nicolas to Plaza Nueva: in Figure 18, where the path evolves to more pleasant soundscapes, and, in Table 8 and Figure 22, where a louder environment results in more positive assessments of the soundscapes. This finding may be supported by other research in soundscape studies addressing the concept of "audible safety", where sound sources that are commonly considered to be negative or unpleasant (e.g., traffic noise) may be indicators of "safety", i.e., things and sound events happen as expected and there is no immediate threat that could result in sudden changes (unlike with sudden silence) in the acoustic environments [20,21]. For visually impaired people, who rely mostly on auditory information to get environmental and situational awareness, this aspect might be particularly crucial. ...
Soundscape assessments by citizens are starting to emerge as a common practice, normally carried out in context by means of soundwalks along selected paths with volunteers. However, when such assessments are carried out, either in situ or in laboratory experiments, visually impaired citizens are not usually involved. To address this question, three soundwalks were carried out in 2020 in the city of Granada, in southern Spain, with the participation of visually impaired people. In this paper, we present the lessons learnt from this research with respect to the methodology issues that have to do with soundwalking and the surveying procedures when people with limited vison are participating, the assessment results, and a comparison with a soundscape evaluation carried out in 2019 without the collaboration of visually impaired people. The results of this preliminary campaign highlight that: (1) Adapting soundscape assessment protocols from standards for visually impaired people is a methodological challenge that requires research attention; (2) Some of the different patterns in the assessment of the soundscape pleasantness between visually impaired and non-visually impaired participants emerged; (3) The perception of quietness may differ for visually impaired people when orientation and identification are factors that play a role in the acoustic environment evaluation.
... There is a growing research interest for the acoustics of long-term care facilities for older adults [1][2][3]-i.e., nursing homes [4]-as part of a broader discourse about the health and well-being of ageing populations, which is becoming a major societal concern [5]. Defining acoustic comfort in such environments is not an easy task when so many factors come into play, such as the particular groups of ...
Acoustic comfort is becoming an increasingly important dimension for practitioners in the context of design of care facilities for older adults, namely nursing homes. Defining the quality of these spaces based on room acoustics criteria alone might be challenging, if aspects related to their functioning (e.g., speech-based activities) are not taken into account. The acoustical capacity concept has been previously proposed for eating establishments as a way to provide a quality assessment based on both physical characteristics of the space and the perceived quality of verbal communication. In this study, a revised version of a prediction model for ambient noise levels based on occupancy and an estimation of acoustical capacity are proposed for nursing homes hosting also people with dementia and the corresponding parameters of slope, group size and absorption per person are optimized for the specific application, using a Nursing Home in Flanders (Belgium) participating to the AcustiCare project as case study. Results show that, compared to normal eating establishments, lower absorption per person values and higher group size values should be used in nursing homes to reduce errors in ambient noise levels prediction. Furthermore, using a retrofit intervention carried out in the living room of the Nursing Home, the enhanced acoustical capacity of the space was analysed. Results in this case show that prior to the retrofit intervention, the acoustical capacity was already exceeded with average occupancy (i.e., saturated in normal functioning conditions), while the reduction of reverberation time achieved with the retrofit increased considerably the acoustical capacity of the space, shifting the quality of verbal communication in the living room from insufficient to satisfactory.
... Indeed, several studies went in this direction, addressing the perceived quality of the acoustic environment of (public) enclosed spaces. [10][11][12][13][14][15] The present special issue on "Soundscapes of buildings and built environments" aimed to gather new research results dealing with the relationships between soundscape, architecture, and urban design, as well as the perception of indoor and outdoor acoustic environments and how buildings (and building elements) can mediate these two. ...
... Assuming that the main purpose of nursing homes is providing the best possible care for their residents/patients, the acoustics and the way it is perceived should be carefully considered by the management as the negative effects of bad acoustics can be expected to give stronger effects in people with specific cognitive impairments. On the other hand, van den Bosch argues that research in nursing homes (compared to other conventional care facilities) could provide an opportunity to understand more basic human sound perception mechanisms, as cognitively impaired older adults are less affected by higher cognitive processing of auditory events (van den Bosch, 2015;van den Bosch, Andringa, Başkent, & Vlaskamp, 2016). ...
... While the acoustics of hospitals and other critical care units (e.g., intensive care units, prenatal care units, etc.) has received considerable research attention (see, for instance: Xie, Kang, & Mills, 2009;Xie & Kang, 2012), fewer studies have focused on the specific context of nursing homes, in spite of the growing relevance of these care settings in our societies (van den Bosch, 2015). ...
As noise is a basic contributor to the evaluation of an environment, the indoor environment of a nursing home (where residents are provided with 24-hour functional support and care) is studied with this focus. General research results, as indicated from a literature review, are limited up till now. Using quantitative and qualitative methods five nursing homes in Flanders were studied before and after acoustic interventions. Sound levels were measured in individual bedrooms, living rooms and corridors to obtain the typical levels during a day. Acoustic intra-room performance parameters (reverberation time) and inter-room performance parameters (airborne noise insulation level and impact noise insulation level) were measured and compared with Belgian target values. The post operam measurements indicated the potential of the acoustic interventions (use of acoustic curtains, wall and ceiling panels, ventilations grills, floating floors) to improve the building performance and the acoustic climate. From a qualitative viewpoint, the thematic analysis of staff response to the acoustic interventions indicated direct positive outcomes (e.g., more pleasant, quieter indoor soundscapes) with both positive and negative outcomes from perceived indirect effects (i.e., non-acoustic factors).
... When the meaning was not clear, participants were offered synonyms for vibrant, such as "exciting" or "lively". This is a common practice in behavioural science, where multiple attributes are typically used to define an index for the underlying construct, since this increases the quality of the data, and the likelihood of valid results [47]. ...
Soundscape research needs to develop predictive tools for environmental design. A number of descriptor-indicator(s) models have been proposed so far, particularly for the “tranquillity″ dimension to manage “quiet areas″ in urban contexts. However, there is a current lack of models addressing environments offering actively engaging soundscapes, i.e., the “vibrancy″ dimension. The main aim of this study was to establish a predictive model for a vibrancy descriptor based on physical parameters, which could be used by designers and practitioners. A group interview was carried out to formulate a hypothesis on what elements would be influential for vibrancy perception. Afterwards, data on vibrancy perception were collected for different locations in the UK and China through a laboratory experiment and their physical parameters were used as indicators to establish a predictive model. Such indicators included both aural and visual parameters. The model, based on Roughness, Presence of People, Fluctuation Strength, Loudness and Presence of Music as predictors, explained 76% of the variance in the mean individual vibrancy scores. A statistically significant correlation was found between vibrancy scores and eventfulness scores, but not between vibrancy scores and pleasantness scores. Overall results showed that vibrancy is contextual and depends both on the soundscape and on the visual scenery.
... Indeed, several studies went in this direction, addressing the perceived quality of the acoustic environment of (public) enclosed spaces. [10][11][12][13][14][15] The present special issue on "Soundscapes of buildings and built environments" aimed to gather new research results dealing with the relationships between soundscape, architecture, and urban design, as well as the perception of indoor and outdoor acoustic environments and how buildings (and building elements) can mediate these two. ...
The term soundscape has been defined in 2014 by the ISO 12913-1 standard as "[the] acoustic environment as perceived or experienced and/or understood by a person or people, in context." 1 However, the debate about soundscape and its meaning goes as back as to the late sixties when authors like Southworth and Schafer started to question how built environments should sound like. 2-4 Such debate has been going on ever since, and in recent years, researchers and practitioners have shown an increasing interest for the assessment, management, and design of both outdoor and indoor acoustic environments, from a perceptual point of view. 5 While much soundscape research has been conducted at a relatively large urban scale and for outdoor spaces, 6-9 the definition provided by the ISO standard focuses on "context"; thus, the concept also applies to buildings and indoor environments in general. Indeed, several studies went in this direction, addressing the perceived quality of the acoustic environment of (public) enclosed spaces. 10-15 The present special issue on "Soundscapes of buildings and built environments" aimed to gather new research results dealing with the relationships between soundscape, architecture, and urban design, as well as the perception of indoor and outdoor acoustic environments and how buildings (and building elements) can mediate these two. Papers generally considered the relationships between the physical elements of the acoustic environments and the perceptual constructs (i.e. the soundscapes) they elicit. Some studies focused explicitly on general assessment methodologies for indoor soundscapes, 16,17 while others sought to look for connections between conventional acoustic comfort measures used in building acoustics and subjective quality assessments. 18-20 Several papers addressed the perception of acoustic environments of indoor settings with specific functions, such as: worship spaces, 21 care facilities, 22,23 learning and teaching environments, 24,25 or commuting hubs. 26 On the other hand, some papers looked at the built environment more broadly to explore how buildings and building elements, as part of a more complex urban fabric, often play a crucial role in defining the acoustic quality of a context. 27-30 The number (and quality) of the contributions published in this special issue reflects the growing interest for the emerging field of "indoor soundscaping" and points out that we should start looking at buildings also as mediators of our everyday aural experience.
... Indeed, several studies went in this direction, addressing the perceived quality of the acoustic environment of (public) enclosed spaces. [10][11][12][13][14][15] The present special issue on "Soundscapes of buildings and built environments" aimed to gather new research results dealing with the relationships between soundscape, architecture, and urban design, as well as the perception of indoor and outdoor acoustic environments and how buildings (and building elements) can mediate these two. ...
... Previous studies have focused both on the perception [1,2], as well as physical aspects of the acoustic environment of such spaces [3]. Acoustics is crucial to define the everyday experience of nursing homes [4], both for the residents and the staff members, due to the considerable amount of time they spend in these environments [5]. This study is part of the AcustiCare project [6], which aims at improving the acoustic environment (c) European Acoustics Association in nursing homes, particularly for residents with dementia, and ultimately at providing architects and decision makers with a broad range of possible acoustic solutions for the organization and optimization of new or existing nursing homes. ...
In nursing homes, poor acoustic quality of living spaces might have an adverse impact on the behaviour and well-being of both residents and staff, decreasing their everyday quality of life. In the context of the AcustiCare project on the characterization and improvement of the acoustic comfort in nursing homes and the introduction of soundscapes in healthcare for older people, five nursing homes in Flanders (Belgium) were evaluated from the acoustical point of view. Correcting interventions were implemented, where possible. The evaluation of the acoustic comfort was twofold: (1) sound levels in bedrooms and living rooms were monitored during a one-week period to get insights into typical temporal patterns; (2) the building acoustics of bedrooms, corridors and living rooms was investigated in terms of standardized level difference (DnT), standardized impact sound pressure level (L nT) and reverberation time (T20). Results for the sound level monitoring indicate that overall sound pressure levels are significantly different between the nursing homes, and daily patterns are observable for different types of spaces in the facilities. Regarding the building acoustics, high reverberation times in living rooms and poor sound insulation from living rooms and corridors to bedrooms were generally observed. In the second part of this study, different acoustic interventions were applied to reduce the reverberation time of the living rooms, as well as the sound propagation to bedrooms. The achieved improvements are presented and discussed. PACS no. 43.55.Dt, 43.50.Qp
... The research interest for these facilities covers both the physical (e.g., functional design, visual settings) [1] as well as intangible part (e.g., thermal and acoustic comfort) [2][3][4][5][6] of their built environment. In particular, acoustics is now regarded as a crucial topic in defining the everyday experience of such spaces [7]; this applies to well-being and quality of life of the residents, but also to the staff members, due to the considerable amount of time they spend in these (work) environments [8,9]. This study builds on the findings of previous research conducted within the AcustiCare Project [10], with Nursing Homes (NHs) in Flanders, where it was shown that the interviewed staff members were slightly-to moderately sensitive to noise (at a personal level), but their soundscape appraisal at work was relatively positive [10]. ...
... (1) Noise sensitivity -was based on five items extracted from the Weinstein's Noise Sensitivity Scale (WNSS) [12], which have been demonstrated to consistently provide similar users' profiling of self-reported noise sensitivity, as the full 21-item scale [13]. These are reported in Table I. (2) Soundscape appraisal -which included questions about the overall quality of the acoustic environment [14,15] , soundscape dimensions [16], audible safety [7], sound sources types' dominance and their corresponding induced annoyance [17] These are reported in Table II. At the beginning of the questionnaire, participants were requested to specify their staff role in the NH. ...
Noise sensitivity is known as a stable effect modifier for environmental noise annoyance at home. In this study, we investigated its effect on the appreciation of the soundscape in the work environment by care professionals. For this purpose, in the context of the AcustiCare project, we conducted a large-scale online survey with care professionals working at Nursing Homes in Flanders (Belgium). The questionnaire contained two main parts: (1) a reduced version of the Weinstein’s Noise Sensitivity Scale (WNSS) and (2) a Soundscape protocol, which included the assessment of overall soundscape quality and its dimensions, the perceived dominance of sound sources and the annoyance they induce. Through a k-means cluster analysis, we then used the WNSS scores to create a Noise Sensitivity variable and to sort participants into three groups, corresponding to different “degrees” of noise sensitivity (“quite tolerant of noise”, “moderately sensitive to noise” and “very sensitive to noise”). The relationship between Noise Sensitivity and overall soundscape appraisal was investigated, as well as potential associations between Noise Sensitivity and the staff role. Results showed that no statistically significant differences emerged for soundscape variables, or the perceived dominance of sound sources. However, the “very sensitive to noise” group tended to be more annoyed by human sounds (both vocal and non-vocal), installation sounds and operational sounds. Furthermore, no associations were observed between Noise Sensitivity and the staff role. These results suggest that care professionals who are more sensitive to noise are also potentially more likely to be psychologically distressed in their work environment, so their acoustic comfort should be carefully taken into account at a management level.
