Search

In contemporary society, being unable to take advantage of information and communication technology (ICT) can create barriers to maintaining social relations and, thus, can increase the risk of social exclusion and loneliness. Prior studies have revealed that, among persons with disabilities, customised ICT can contribute to the maintenance and improvement of personal social networks. Nevertheless, there is still a need for knowledge regarding the adaption of ICT of those involved when customized ICT are set up in the residents for persons with disabilities. Through conducting interviews with four residents, as well as their relatives and members of staff this article explores how KOMP, a customised ICT product designed to enhance digital contact among people who are unable to use ICT independently, was applied in four different municipal residences in Norway. Collective qualitative analysis was utilised to perform this investigation. The analysis show that KOMP can help strengthen relationships, interferes with interactional practices, and underscores the institutionalised lives in the residences. These findings emphasise that applying customised ICT/KOMP in such settings highlights the underlying tensions regarding residents' rights to self-determination and privacy. This study provides insights into how formal and informal regulations developed by relatives and staff, with the purpose of both protecting residents and protecting oneself from digital exposure, impacts the residents' ability to take advantage of customised ICT and overcome the digital disability divide. The present findings underscore the need for enhancing residential staff's competence regarding the use of information and communication technology and their knowledge of the associated rights of persons with disabilities. These findings represent the need to improving residential staff's awareness of their role in providing services that enable persons with disabilities to benefit from technological advancements offering distance communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large proportion of the world’s population resides in developing countries where there is a lack of rigorous studies in designing energy efficient buildings. This study is a step in designing a naturally ventilated high rise residential building in a tropical climatic context of the developing country, Pakistan. Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan, lies in the subtropical hot desert region with constant high temperature of average 32 °C throughout the summer and no particular winter season. The Design Builder software package is used to design a 25 storey high rise residential building relying primarily on natural ventilation. A final conceptual design is proposed after optimization of massing, geometry, orientation, and improved building envelope design including extensive shading devices in the form of trees. It has been observed that a reduction of 8 °C in indoor ambient temperature is possible to achieve with passive measures and use of night time ventilation. A fully naturally ventilated building can reduce the energy consumption for cooling and heating by 96 % compared to a building using air conditioning systems.

Background: The review examined the effectiveness of Active Support (RQ1) and stakeholders' experiences of the model (RQ2). Method: Data were meta‐analysed (RQ1; studies = 14) and synthesized narratively (RQ2; studies = 10). Results: By follow‐up (6 months post‐training), effect sizes (RQ1) for resident total activity engagement were significant and ranged from small (d = 0.33, 95% CIs: 0.10–0.50) to large (Tau‐U = 0.95, 95% CIs: 0.64–1.25) depending on study design. Follow‐up changes in staff assistance were moderate (d = 0.56, 95% CIs: 0.23–0.89; Tau‐U 0.63, 95% CIs: 0.32–0.93) and large for quality of support (d = 1.03, 95% CIs: 0.61–1.44). Other outcomes did not change. Conclusions: Active Support was more effective following complete staff training, in larger settings, at lower staff‐to‐resident ratios and with less experienced staff. Active Support training and outcomes were valued by staff and residents (RQ2), and staff experienced increased job satisfaction. Lower staff turnover and organizational readiness appear crucial for maintaining implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a hermeneutic phenomenological analysis of interview material in which 12 seniors living in Special Housing Accommodation (SHA) facilities reflect on the experience of living in such facilities. Of particular interest in the analysis is living in a SHA as a phenomenon. The finding shows that the phenomenon of lived experience in a SHA seems to be a state of ambiguity regarding one's existence, which is made up of several constituents (elements of meaning).The analysis contributes to the understanding of how the phenomenon of SHA living is coming into existence as a need, due to an individual's failing health; however, the SHA is not considered to be a true home. Accordingly, this has consequences to the subject position for the seniors in that they have to navigate between existing and not existing. The seniors learn to cope with living in the SHA by lowering their expectations of life and existence while the SHA provides the prerequisites for their existence. An implication for promoting care is to support the seniors to enable a full existence of life within SHA living.

Based on data from 1128 survey questionnaires in western China, this article analyzed the impact of several factors on residential electricity consumption. The results were as follows: (1) EC p (Electricity consumption per capita), PCI (per capita income), diversity of the electrical appliances ( AD ), purchase price of appliances ( APC ) and household size ( PO ) were found to be closely associated. EC p , AD and APC displayed a clearly progressive characteristic as PCI increases. (2) The main factors affecting electricity consumption were PCI , AD , APC and PO (persons). PCI , AD and APC on EC p had significantly positive effects, but the price of electricity ( EP ) and PO had negative effects. (3)The slope coefficients of PCI , AD and PO had the differential effect on electricity use, whereas EP and APC did not have this effect. (4) Electricity consumption and appliance use were heavily interdependent. Increased electricity consumption was essential condition for improving the living status of people in less developed regions. (5) Variations in household electricity consumption patterns reflected the improvement of people's quality of life and lifestyle. There was a significant difference among different income households. (6) It is necessary to improve the availability of electricity further and to perfect electricity use policy in the less-developed regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a hermeneutic phenomenological analysis of interview material in which 12 seniors living in Special Housing Accommodation (SHA) facilities reflect on the experience of living in such facilities. Of particular interest in the analysis is living in a SHA as a phenomenon. The finding shows that the phenomenon of lived experience in a SHA seems to be a state of ambiguity regarding one's existence, which is made up of several constituents (elements of meaning). The analysis contributes to the understanding of how the phenomenon of SHA living is coming into existence as a need, due to an individual's failing health; however, the SHA is not considered to be a true home. Accordingly, this has consequences to the subject position for the seniors in that they have to navigate between existing and not existing. The seniors learn to cope with living in the SHA by lowering their expectations of life and existence while the SHA provides the prerequisites for their existence. An implication for promoting care is to support the seniors to enable a full existence of life within SHA living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incidence of violence towards staff caring for the elderly A survey study concerning violence was conducted among staff (n=506) working with the elderly in residential settings and ordinary homes. The major aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of violence directed towards staff by elderly people living in residential settings. Furthermore, associations between the number of violent incidents and gender, age, year in service, year at present place of work, education of the staff, type of setting, the frequency and type of violence as well as the emotional reactions expressed by the staff should be examined. Forty percent of the staff was exposed to violence during the preceding year and 18% noted incidents of violence daily. A significantly larger proportion of staff working in nursing homes registered violence compared with those working in other types of settings. Physical violence was the most common (76%) type of violence. Powerlessness, sadness, anger and feelings of insufficiency were the most dominant feelings among staff facing by violent situations. Our results point to the necessity to further study caregivers' perception of patient violence and its impact on the quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Routine testing for SARS-CoV-2 is rare for institutes of higher education due to prohibitive costs and supply chain delays. During spring 2021, we routinely tested all residential students 1 to 2 times per week using pooled, RNA-extraction-free, reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) testing of saliva at a cost of $0.43/sample with same-day results. The limit of detection was 500 copies/ml on individual samples, and analysis indicates 1,000 and 2,500 copies/ml in pools of 5 and 10, respectively, which is orders of magnitude more sensitive than rapid antigen tests. Importantly, saliva testing flagged 83% of semester positives (43,884 tests administered) and was 95.6% concordant with nasopharyngeal diagnostic results (69.0% concordant on the first test when the nucleocapsid gene (N1) cycle threshold ( C T ) value was >30). Moreover, testing reduced weekly cases by 59.9% in the spring despite far looser restrictions, allowing for more normalcy while eliminating outbreaks. We also coupled our testing with a survey to clarify symptoms and transmissibility among college-age students. While only 8.5% remained asymptomatic throughout, symptoms were disparate and often cold-like (e.g., only 37.3% developed a fever), highlighting the difficulty with relying on symptom monitoring among this demographic. Based on reported symptom progression, we estimate that we removed 348 days of infectious individuals by routine testing. Interestingly, viral load ( C T value) at the time of testing did not affect transmissibility ( R 2 = 0.0085), though those experiencing noticeable symptoms at the time of testing were more likely to spread the virus to close contacts (31.6% versus 14.3%). Together, our findings support routine testing for reducing the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Implementation of cost- and resource-efficient approaches should receive strong consideration in communities that lack herd immunity. IMPORTANCE This study highlights the utility of routine testing for SARS-CoV-2 using pooled saliva while maintaining high sensitivity of detection (under 2,500 copies/ml) and rapid turnaround of high volume (up to 930 samples in 8 h by two technicians and one quantitative PCR [qPCR] machine). This pooled approach allowed us to test all residential students 1 to 2 times per week on our college campus during the spring of 2021 and flagged 83% of our semester positives. Most students were asymptomatic or presented with symptoms mirroring common colds at the time of testing, allowing for removal of infectious individuals before they otherwise would have sought testing. To our knowledge, the total per-sample consumable cost of $0.43 is the lowest to date. With many communities still lagging in vaccination rates, routine testing that is cost-efficient highlights the capacity of the laboratory's role in controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2.