You don’t have to be elderly or live alone to need assistance with daily living. Even if you are healthy, there are times when it’s difficult to care of yourself due to illness or injury. If this happens, where will you go? You could consider assisted living in South Valley, NM, as an alternative to home care or a nursing home. Assisted living in South Valley, NM can provide a wide range of services, from personal care and meals to transportation and recreational activities. But did you know indoor air quality is just as important in assisted living as any other amenity? Airborne contaminants like mold, dust mites and pollen can cause health problems such as respiratory illnesses in residents who have allergies—even if they don’t realize they have allergies!
Read on if you’re interested in learning more about improving indoor air quality in ALFs or if you work at an ALF and would like tips for increasing the cleanliness of your environment.
Dust, Mold and Fungi
Dust, mold and fungi are common problems in assisted living communities. Dust mites are present in most homes and can cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. As people age, their immune systems become less effective at fighting off invaders like dust mites and mold spores that can trigger respiratory disorders such as asthma or allergies.
Dust can also be a problem for residents with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia because it is difficult for them to recognize when they need to clean up after themselves. Caregivers often end up picking up after residents out of concern that they could fall on the floor or hurt themselves in some other way if left alone with a mess. This leads to higher infection rates among memory care residents who live at home than those who live in assisted living facilities (ALFs).
Cooking Odors
Cooking odors, especially when they come from meals that are fried or have a lot of garlic or onions, can be a major problem in assisted living communities. These odors are tough to get rid of because they don’t just go away when you open a window. Instead of using harsh chemicals to mask the problem, consider what you can do to prevent it in the first place.
If you want to address this issue in your assisted living community, we recommend installing an odor-neutralizer system as soon as possible. Having a dedicated device for removing smells from the air will make it easier to keep them out when they start entering through vents or windows—and it’ll make life much more pleasant for everyone involved!
Humidity
Humidity can be an issue in the winter. For example, if you live in a cold climate and your home has radiators for heat, you will have warm air rising into your home through the vents. When humid air meets the cooler space between floors and ceilings, it condenses into water droplets on windowsills and walls–and those droplets freeze when temperatures drop at night! This can lead to mold growth or ice dams (when ice builds up at the roof level) and additional damage to your home’s structure over time.
We recommend using a dehumidifier or ventilating fans in rooms where moisture levels are high, so they don’t affect indoor air quality. You should also keep windows closed during rainy days as well.
Pets
Pets can bring in dirt, dander and allergens and spread disease. They may also carry germs that cause illness among residents of assisted living communities. This could be especially dangerous for those with compromised immune systems or disabilities that make it difficult to fight off infections.
