Architecture Commons^™

Framework Development For Evaluating The Impacts Of Nursing Home Acoustics On Older Adults, Brian J. Puckett

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Thesis, and Student Research

Nursing homes are complex, multi-faceted environments which provide necessary medical supervision and housing for older adults in need of long-term care. With cognitive and sensory impairments being common adversities faced throughout the aging process, research is needed to better understand characteristics of the built environment which may contribute to difficulties for nursing home residents. Noise, in particular, has been shown to be problematic for nursing home residents in a variety of ways including disrupting sleep, associating with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and leading to increased readmission to hospitals due to verbal communication misunderstandings. As the older adult population …