Relationships between indoor facilities management components and elderly people's quality of life: A study of private domestic buildings

The rate at which the population is ageing increases the magnitude of the challenge of providing private domestic buildings with facilities meeting those needs of the elderly occupants that arise from their changing health condition. This study aims to examine the relationships between indoor facilities management (FM) components and the quality of life (QoL) of elderly people residing in private domestic buildings. A questionnaire based on an extensive literature review was distributed among elderly respondents in order to assess their level of satisfaction with 13 indoor FM components and five QoL domains - namely overall QoL, physical health, psychological health, social relationships and their living environment. In all, 348 questionnaires were completed by elderly respondents drawn from the 18 political districts of Hong Kong; the data were analyzed using reliability tests, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. The results reveal that (1) the respondents' overall QoL was significantly affected by ventilation and space; (2) their physical health was predicted by space, doors and windows, and temperature; (3) their psychological health was affected by furniture and fixtures, lighting, acoustics, and doors and windows; (4) their social relationships were influenced by furniture and fixtures and space; and (5) their level of satisfaction with the living environment was affected by space, lighting, furniture and fixtures and acoustics. It is recommended that architects, interior designers, building services engineers and facilities managers include adequate turning spaces in the design of flats for the elderly; and that they pay attention to the brightness and hue of lighting, consider the micro-climate in the orientation of new buildings, incorporate sound insulation materials in walls, install on doors and windows lever handles that require minimal force and increase the width of doors in flats for elderly residents.