Case Study: Elderly Care – How Chi Lin Care and Attention Home Renovated to Fulfill New Licensing Requirements

The Chi Lin Care and Attention Home received a donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust of over HK$67 million to support major facility upgrades that bring it in line with new licensing requirements introduced after the COVID-19 pandemic. These upgrades put best practices in infection control at the residential care home and create a safer, healthier environment by improving ventilation and isolation capabilities. In addition, they improve sustainability and energy efficiency as well.

The importance of air in elderly homes

Older adults are especially vulnerable to the health impacts of poor indoor air quality. This is largely because they tend to spend more time indoors due to reduced physical activity, fewer social and work-related engagements, and a diminished ability to recover from environmental stressors as they age.

The HKSAR Government’s Guidance Notes for the Management of Indoor Air Quality in Elderly Homes recommends “educating and communicating with elderly home occupants to enhance awareness and practices to achieve good IAQ” as a key strategy.

Stakeholders, including residents’ families, should be informed of IAQ risks and the mitigation steps taken. This information should be provided as part of the facility’s basic operating details, alongside information like the number of spaces and services offered.

For operators, IAQ management is a strategic investment that is not only a regulatory matter, but a service improvement. Elderly homes should actively disclose such information as part of data transparency.

Challenges and solutions

The Chi Lin renovation is an example of how investing in renovations can have a major benefit on the health and wellbeing of residents, and improve their quality of life by addressing an environmental threat.

Where possible, IAQ should be considered a key factor when it comes to building maintenance and particularly renovation, especially of old buildings. When planning major renovations, operators should explore technological solutions and consult modern best practices, such as the Government’s IAQ guidance notes, communicating these requirements to all vendors.

Resource constraints can be mitigated by the search of external sources of funding and justified with improvements to service quality, resident health and quality of life, an eventual payoff period due to saved energy and integrating upgrades into major repair and renovation works at appropriate periods.

Photo by Catgirlmutant on Unsplash

Impacts and achievements: Health, Environmental, and Financial Benefits

The enhancement project included a complete overhaul of the air-conditioning and ventilation systems, incorporating variable-speed air conditioners and fresh air exchangers, boosting energy efficiency by up to 30% while meeting air exchange requirements to maintain indoor air quality in compliance with infection control requirements to prepare for future disease outbreaks.

The project also upgraded two existing isolation rooms and constructed a new one, all designed to maintain lower air pressure and with unidirectional airflow.

Additionally, the nurse station was redesigned to enhance workflow efficiency and patient monitoring. Energy-saving equipment were installed, including LED lighting with smart sensors, along with upgraded laundry and kitchen systems. Collectively, the home is now capable of reducing electricity consumption as much as 20% annually, with a significant reduction in carbon emissions.

Acknowledgment: Photos courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club.