Researchers at University of New South Wales, Australia report COVID infections occurred less frequently in smaller senior care homes. However, the dominant factor appears to be architectural design, as opposed to quality of attention. Their evidence of a better COVID outcome in small senior homes first appeared in Open Forum Infectious Diseases on January 22, 2022.
What the University of New South Wales Team Discovered
The researchers report the coronavirus infection rate in smaller, detached facilities was almost half the rate of single-site ones. And moreover they established this by doing large-scale analysis of a pool of information.
They also based their conclusions on 41 separate COVID-19 articles on aged care homes in 11 countries. As a result, their sample includes 90,657 residents and 6,521 staff in 757 facilities therefore making it representative.
Website Aged Care confirmed the numbers on March 28, 2022 when we first became aware of this finding. The bottom line is aged people living in detached care home buildings had an average infection rate of 26%. Whereas seniors in single site facilities were twice as likely (50%) to contract the disease.
Implications of Better COVID Outcomes in Small Senior Homes
The researchers thus recommend future aged care facilities “should be smaller in size, with adequate space for social distancing”. They note current single-complex facilities:
1… Are often crowded, with shared bathrooms and gathering in communal areas.
2… Allow prolonged close physical contact between care staff and residents.
3… Older buildings do not necessarily have adequate, COVID-friendly ventilation.
4… The higher rates reflect an aging population sometimes with dementia.
Therefore, the team recommends “infection-control policies should address factors such as the total number of beds, and staff-to-100 bed ratios”. They also suggest “appropriate modifications at institutions with single-building facilities housing multiple occupancy rooms.”
Better COVID outcomes in small senior homes would harmonize with other benefits of cottage-style living. Each resident should then stand a better chance of personal attention, while being free to socialize freely as they desire.
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