Office workspace for an ageing workforce: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: With the ageing of the working population, it is becoming crucial empowering staff of all ages to perform at its best. To this end, organizations can act on the built environment, adapting the workspace to the changing characteristics of workers and using it as a tool for health promotion. OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of office workspace requirements to optimise the wellbeing and productivity of older workers. METHODS: The search, by Scopus, Web of Science core collection and Medline, produced 290 records. The screening process, according to the Prisma method, reduced the records to 13 included in the review. RESULTS: The results show the needs and preferences of the ageing workforce, such as personal control over the environment in terms of both comfort and use of space, as well as negative opinions on specific solutions, such as the extensive use of open offices and the introduction of shared workstations. The included studies report mainly subjective data, derived from interviews and questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: The review provides a first framework for acting on the office workspace to improve wellbeing and productivity of older workers. However, further studies, evidence-based and with subjective and objective measurements of specific solutions, are needed to develop guidelines for an inclusive workspace for all ages.

Built environment and wellbeing in Italian psychiatric wards.

The healthcare built environment has effects on patient's wellbeing. These effects are even heavier on sensitive patient such as psychiatric ones. Therefore the environment design can be a key factor in promoting the patients' well-being and the care process. This paper investigates how this vision is influencing the design of psychiatric facilities in the Italian context, known for its radical innovation of mental health services due to Law 180 (1978). The article identifies the current built environment issues of the psychiatric ward, the design indications available and the possible future actions to meet the needs of users and to improve wellbeing and care process.