According to the international GERIE study, published on the European Respiratory Journal, the elderly guests have trouble breathing in residential care homes in half of Europe due to the poor quality of the air they breathe. The study gathered data analysing the ambient air in 50 residential care homes in 7 countries, including Italy, and monitoring the conditions of 600 elderly guests, to look for the relationship between air quality in the residence and breathing health of the guests. We measured the concentrations of inhalable dust such as PM10 and ultra fine dust such as PM0.1, as well as formaldehyde and irritating and polluting gases, i.e. nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Furthermore, although it is not exactly a pollutant but an air quality indicator, we have also analysed the quantity of carbon dioxide, which tends to rise if the rooms are poorly ventilated, says Giovanni Viegi, coordinator of the survey and director of the Institute for Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology of Palermo’s CNR. The analysis highlights – with no significant differences between the various countries – that the facilities have rather high concentrations of all the pollutants analysed and that only one guest out of five is able to adequately change the air of their room. As the room smog increases, so does the elderly guests’ respiratory discomfort. "A number of sources are responsible for the pollution found in residential care homes,” – says Viegi. “The most significant ones are ingress of external pollutants, gas produced by kitchens and boilers, organic substances released by construction materials, furniture and cleaning products. Tobacco smoke should also be included, if the smoking ban is not observed or if it is allowed to smoke outside the building.” The elderly are very sensitive to “dirty” air because their immune defences are lower and if they live in residential care homes they are forced to remain in indoor premises, with a lot of other people and few opportunities to move: all elements that increase exposure and worsen the general respiratory health.

According to the international GERIE study, published on the European Respiratory Journal, the elderly guests have trouble breathing in residential care homes in half of Europe due to the poor quality of the air they breathe.

The study gathered data analysing the ambient air in 50 residential care homes in 7 countries, including Italy, and monitoring the conditions of 600 elderly guests, to look for the relationship between air quality in the residence and breathing health of the guests.

We measured the concentrations of inhalable dust such as PM10 and ultra fine dust such as PM0.1, as well as formaldehyde and irritating and polluting gases, i.e. nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Furthermore, although it is not exactly a pollutant but an air quality indicator, we have also analysed the quantity of carbon dioxide, which tends to rise if the rooms are poorly ventilated, says Giovanni Viegi, coordinator of the survey and director of the Institute for Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology of Palermo’s CNR.

The analysis highlights – with no significant differences between the various countries – that the facilities have rather high concentrations of all the pollutants analysed and that only one guest out of five is able to adequately change the air of their room. As the room smog increases, so does the elderly guests’ respiratory discomfort.

"A number of sources are responsible for the pollution found in residential care homes,” – says Viegi. “The most significant ones are ingress of external pollutants, gas produced by kitchens and boilers, organic substances released by construction materials, furniture and cleaning products. Tobacco smoke should also be included, if the smoking ban is not observed or if it is allowed to smoke outside the building.”

The elderly are very sensitive to “dirty” air because their immune defences are lower and if they live in residential care homes they are forced to remain in indoor premises, with a lot of other people and few opportunities to move: all elements that increase exposure and worsen the general respiratory health.