Housing design for older South Aussies under the spotlight

An older man smiles in the kitchen as he makes a cup of tea.

Older South Australians face challenges to ensure they are comfortable in hot and cool conditions. Credit: Thermal Comfort at Home: A Guide for Older South Australians.

成人大片 researchers will investigate the quality of housing for older South Australians to improve their wellbeing and resilience to extreme weather.

People at least 65 years old and who live independently in the Charles Sturt, Playford, Salisbury, Port Adelaide Enfield and Murray Bridge council areas are invited to take part in the study.

The study is a continuation of a recently-completed ARC Discovery project, titled 鈥淚mproving thermal environment of housing of older Australians鈥, which analysed the housing of more than 300 older people and resulted in the 鈥鈥.

鈥淲e are aiming to develop affordable strategies that older people can adopt so they are comfortable in their own home,鈥 said Professor Veronica Soebarto, lead researcher from the 成人大片鈥檚 School of Architecture and Built Environment.

鈥淲e hope this project will advance knowledge about design and operation of more resilient and affordable housing that will improve health and wellbeing.

鈥淪outh Australia鈥檚 cold winters and hot summers present a range of challenges for older people who live in housing that is not adequately prepared for those conditions.

鈥淗ow a house is designed can play a significant role in ensuring it cools down during warmer months, and retains the heat during cooler temperatures.

鈥淲ell-designed houses can provide cost-effective solutions, which are more important than ever, considering the rising cost of electricity and gas.

鈥淕iven that people aged over 60 spend up to 80 per cent of their time inside their own home, it is vital that we can have their homes adequately prepared to cope with changes in temperature.鈥Professor Veronica Soebarto, lead researcher from the 成人大片鈥檚 School of Architecture and Built Environment.


鈥淲e also know older people are more vulnerable to a range of physical and health-related issues.

鈥淎s we discussed in our guide published last year, thermal comfort isn鈥檛 just about how a person feels 鈥 it can also affect health and wellbeing.

鈥淐old weather leads to more cases of cardiovascular diseases, influenza, pneumonia, arthritis and changes in mood such as depression, while hot weather can lead to heat strokes, lethargy and headaches.

鈥淕iven that people aged over 60 spend up to 80 per cent of their time inside their own home, it is vital that we can have their homes adequately prepared to cope with changes in temperature.鈥

Focus group discussions are likely to start in October followed by a monitoring study next year.

The study is funded by the Australian Research Council and involves the University鈥檚 School of Architecture and Built Environment, the School of Public Health and the Adelaide Medical School.

To register interest in participating in the study, please contact Dr Larissa Arakawa Martins, at larissa.arakawamartins@adelaide.edu.au, or 0406 574 404, or visit .

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