A study of the preferences of the elderly in the design of ambulatory health care facilities
Abstract
This research paper is a study of the preferences of the well elderly for the design of ambulatory health care facilities. The paper first explores the literature of health care needs and in particular the needs of the elderly segment of the population. Then the structural and physiological conditions of the elderly are discussed and linked to areas of design. A matrix is developed and used to construct a questionnaire that is used in structured interviews. Through a qualitative analysis of the interviews, the preferences of the sample group are determined. These preferences are compared to generally accepted rules of design to determine differences. Then the findings are translated into generalized guidelines that can be utilized for ambulatory healthcare facility design.