Visual Comfort in Elder Care Facilities: Promoting Environmental Gerontology Theory

Abstract

Population aging is an inevitable universal demographic process. Aging exposes people to physical, sensory, and psychological changes that often lead to health declination and cause dependency. In developed countries, elder care facilities emerged widely to ensure the aging perception of home as a safe and comfortable environment when family members are not around to assist. The elderly spend most of their time indoors; thus, indoor lighting design and visual comfort are vital for their safety. Comfort contributes to the well-being of the elderly as a part of the social sustainability context. The aim of this research is to set visual comfort design guidelines for elder care facilities in developing countries. To achieve this, a methodical review was carried out of published literature on lighting, environmental gerontology, and enhancement of visual comfort for the elderly. Then, an analysis of the environmental gerontology approach application in elderly built environments was carried out. Finally, a summarization of preliminary guidelines for visual comfort that can be applied in developing countries to form aging-friendly space was made. The findings establish recommended guidelines and proposed solutions that would improve the daylighting environment in elder care facilities from the gerontology perspective. This research highlights the important role of environmental gerontology in creating an age-friendly environment that fulfills the physical and psychological needs of the elderly, especially in daylighting aspects, thus promoting social sustainability.