Temperature requirements in old age

Abstract

Investigations on 16 elderly and 16 young adult volunteers wearing standardised clothing in controlled ambient temperatures of 12°C to 24°C have been made in order to establish preferred temperature conditions and thermal comfort limits. When correction is made for the mean clothing insulation values of the subjects, the optimum temperature for thermal comfort in both age groups, sitting wearing 1 clo of insulation, is estimated to be 21.1°C. Differences in thermal responses and the relationship between impaired temperature perception and thermal comfort were examined. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of improving the thermal efficiency of existing dwellings and providing temperature specifications for old people's housing.