Comparative Assessment of Indoor Facilities Management Items between Public Housing and Private Buildings

Purpose: Aging is a global issue over the world. To maintain their lifestyle without changes, most elderly prefer living in their existing residential units (public housing or private buildings) rather than moving to any elderly home. Due to decline of elderly physical health, indoor facilities largely influence their quality of life (QoL) in public housing and private buildings. However, facilities management (FM) varies in different types of residential units (public housing and private buildings). The study thus compares indoor FM items between public housing and private buildings, and investigates the relationships between various FM items and quality of life (QoL) of elderly in public/private buildings. Methodology: A questionnaire survey, including 41 indoor FM items and the QoL, was designed and conducted to elderly living in public housing and private buildings in Hong Kong. A total of 718 responses were purposively collected from elders living in different types of housing, while t-test and multiple regression analysis were adopted for data analysis. Results: The results of t-test shows that elderly in private buildings were more significantly satisfied with FM items (such as space planning, size of cabinets and electrical appliances) than their counterparts living in public housing. The regression models indicated that space planning, colour, non-slip floor, handrail and temperature significantly affect the QoL of elderly in public housing, while artificial ventilation and colour can predict the QoL of elderly living in private buildings.Originality: The study, thus, recommends that the government should review the minimum spacing requirements and regulate indoor temperature, particularly for public housing in high-rise buildings, in order to improve the QoL for elderly. On the other hand, private property developers should also review the ventilation system and colour contrast in their project for ensuring the comfort of elderly staying in the home. © 2024 The Gerontological Society of America