Research on Acoustic Environment in the Building of Nursing Homes Based on Sound Preference of the Elderly People: A Case Study in Harbin, China

Abstract

Nursing homes are the facilities where the elderly conduct their daily activities. This may lead to a complicated acoustic environment which would potentially affect the ability of the elderly to function. In this study, the main indoor public space of a nursing home in Harbin was taken as the research object, and the methods of field observation, sound measurement, and questionnaire survey were used to explore the sound perception and preference of the elderly. The results revealed that in terms of the temporal and spatial distribution of sound pressure level (SPL), the unit living space had the highest SPL, which was above 60 dB (A). The reverberation time (RT) of the unit living space, medical and health care center corridor, was 2.15 and 2.13 s, respectively, at a frequency of 1,000 Hz, which was within the discomfort range. The results also revealed that an acoustic environment had a strong correlation with humidity and a weak correlation with temperature. However, no significant correlation could be assessed with a luminous environment. The elderly people were generally willing to accept the natural sound sources. The factors of gender and offspring numbers had no significant impact on the evaluation of acoustic environment comfort, whereas marriage and income status affected the comfort. This study may help improve the quality of life of the elderly in the nursing home and provide a reference for the construction and design of pension facilities.