A breath of fresh air for care homes

A recent study by Rodríguez et al looking at elderly care homes across Spain, uncovered hidden dangers lurking in the air. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in care homes directly impacts the health of elderly residents and the results of this study were eye-opening:

• Stagnant air – Lack of proper ventilation, enabling harmful pollutants to accumulate indoors
• High particulate matter (PM2.5) – Airborne particles exceeding safe thresholds, posing risks to lung and heart health
• Toxic VOCs – Emitted from furnishings and cleaning products, these chemicals can cause headaches, dizziness, and long-term respiratory damage
• Biohazards – Mould, bacteria, and viruses were common, increasing the likelihood of infections and breathing difficulties
• No air monitoring – Without real-time air quality monitoring, issues go unnoticed until they start impacting health

Simple solutions for cleaner air in care homes

Want to take action? Follow these suggestions for creating cleaner, healthier living environments in care homes:

1. Mechanical ventilation – Fresh air circulation is key to diluting indoor pollutants but if you don't have mechanical ventilation, open windows and doors, even for a few minutes regularly
2. Real-time air monitoring – Detect issues before they become health risks
3. High-efficiency air purifiers – Use HEPA air cleaners to remove particles from the air including viruses, bacteria and mould spores

Why this matters now

By 2030, Europe will have the world’s largest elderly population, with over 35 million people aged 80+. We must act now to ensure care homes provide safer, filtered air to protect their residents.

This study shows a clear benefit to introducing portable air cleaners but did you know that the choice of air cleaners can deliver even greater improvements? A Dyson air cleaner was used for this research, we look at this compares...