Kaarin Piegaze Lindquist’s scientific contributions

Increasing numbers of emergency admissions for older people have created an imperative for hospitals to develop appropriate facilities to meet the specific needs of older patients. This pilot research identifies design criteria that can improve the quality and outcomes of acute-care services for older patients. Three acute-care settings in the United Kingdom were recruited for the study: a National Health Service Foundation Trust hospital, an inpatient rehabilitation hospital, and a nursing home providing intermediate care. A pilot design evaluation tool was developed to assess the design quality of the buildings and evaluate their performance in supporting the specific needs of older people. Findings showed that hospital designs do not adequately meet the needs of older people. The key issues were related to the basic design layout, which impacts domains that are important to older people, including wayfinding, dignity, support for dementia, and mobility. Small design changes can impact the success of the built environment in responding to the needs of older inpatients, but overcoming poor original layouts and subsequent retrofitting and renovations can be extremely difficult.