Elderly care and heat protection: It's time for policy to step in when care becomes too hot
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the region's elderly care facilities are facing a challenge as they struggle to maintain comfortable temperatures without sufficient structural heat protection. While specific information on the necessary measures for heat protection in these settings is not readily available, a general understanding of climate adaptation and building measures can be outlined.
For elderly care facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia, structural heat protection typically involves a combination of strategies. These include improving building insulation and shading, installing effective ventilation systems, using reflective and heat-resistant building materials, implementing green infrastructure, making design adaptations, and ensuring access to cool indoor areas and hydration stations for residents.
Given the region's vulnerability to heat waves and the German Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, these measures are crucial in protecting vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, from heat stress and its health impacts.
For more specific guidance tailored to elderly care facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia, it is recommended to consult the State Ministry of Health and local building codes for detailed regulatory requirements for thermal comfort and heat protection. Additionally, research projects funded by the North Rhine-Westphalia government on energy efficiency and user comfort might provide insights into optimizing indoor climate control.
Susanne Hille, head of the health, social services, education, and science department at ver.di NRW, has highlighted the ineffectiveness of traditional heat protection methods, such as wet towels, when temperatures exceed 30 degrees Celsius in nursing homes. ver.di NRW is also calling for a fundamental reform of the debt brake and sustainable financing models for municipalities.
Many facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia lack essential heat protection elements, such as shading elements, modern insulation, green outdoor spaces, or climate-friendly cooling systems. As a result, care-dependent elderly individuals are particularly affected by the current heatwave.
Measures such as encouraging drinking, moving heavy tasks to early morning hours, and hanging up wet sheets are not comprehensive solutions for overheated buildings without structural heat protection. Instead, investments in climate-friendly cooling systems, shading elements, modern insulation, and green outdoor spaces are seen as protecting health, life, and the operability of care facilities, as well as relieving employees.
The "NRW must invest" alliance, of which ver.di NRW is a part, advocates for these investments, demanding relief for municipalities, the elimination of investment backlog, and future-proofing of social facilities. The alliance has proposed an investment of 156 billion euros for North Rhine-Westphalia, which includes funding for climate-friendly cooling systems, shading elements, modern insulation, and green outdoor spaces in elderly care facilities.
However, the municipalities are unable to provide the necessary funds for heat protection on their own. Without structural measures, any heat protection plan is ineffective and can be considered a farce. It is, therefore, essential to consult regional building regulations or health ministry guidance from North Rhine-Westphalia for precise requirements and to ensure the safety and well-being of the region's elderly population.
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