title: Environmental control systems in chronic care hospitals and nursing homes.
abstract: Fifteen severely disabled people residing in institutions were provided with a simple environmental control system which performed five different functions. The disabled people used the equipment an average of ten times a day. Two hours of nursing care by nursing staff would have been required to perform these functions. The cost of the equipment was $1.35 a day. Both the residents and the nursing staff reacted favorably to this innovation. The main benefits which resulted were a heightened sense of independence on the part of the disabled people and a reduction of frustration levels of both the residents and the nursing staff. A considerable savings in nursing care was also achieved.
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006763:Hospitals, Chronic Disease; D006782:Hospitals, Special; D006801:Humans; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009740:Nursing Staff; D012656:Self-Help Devices / Q000191:economics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires