Environmental, socio-cultural, and economic sustainability in care facilities: Evaluating the impact of person-centered building renovation in Aragon, Spain

Abstract

The increasing aging population, life expectancy, and dependency rates in Spain have led to a growing demand for long-term care places, presenting a significant challenge for care facilities for older people. Transitioning from institutional care homes to a person-centered care model is essential for improving the well-being and quality of life of residents. This paper focuses on Aragon, a region in Spain facing territorial disparities and aging-related issues. The study proposes a holistic sustainability approach that encompasses socio-cultural, environmental, and economic dimensions to evaluate the impact of renovating institutional long-term care facilities into person-centered care environments. The research methodology involves creating a holistic database of care facilities in Aragon and assessing their sustainability through socio-cultural indicators (size, living units, and single rooms) and environmental factors (construction year, energy consumption, and carbon emissions). Several design measures, such as implementing living units and improving insulation, are proposed to evaluate economic sustainability. The findings reveal that 25 % of care facilities need to reduce their capacity, with only 7.7 % having adopted living units. Additionally, over 80 % of the building stock is energy inefficient. Renovating these care facilities in line with a sustainable, person-centered approach is estimated to cost between 101 and 170 million euros. The paper concludes that a holistic approach combining socio-cultural, environmental, and economic sustainability is crucial for implementing a person-centered care model in Aragon's facilities. Furthermore, effective public-private collaboration is needed to ensure equitable access to care services and uphold quality standards that safeguard the well-being of older adults.