A research on design principles of geriatric hospitals

The word "Geriatrics" refers to medicine of elderly. "Geriatrics in medicine" is the branch of science that aims to protect the health of elderly people, diagnose and treat illnesses that are common among elderly individuals, and help them continue their lives as social and independent individuals. Geriatric hospitals are institutions that provide care and treatment services for the physiological and psychological needs of the geriatric patient group. In this thesis, general design criteria for geriatric hospitals are investigated and presented. In the second part of the thesis basic definitions and information about aging and its physiological and psychological effects, institutions serving for elderly people and geriatric hospitals are set forth. Also presented is information on where to find the standards and regulations to be followed in the hospital projects in Turkey. The third part is on the design criteria for geriatric hospitals. In this part of the thesis, the criteria to be taken into account when defining the structure form and the issues to be considered in the facade design are outlined and the requirements that must be met in the architectural planning phase are identified. The units which the geriatric hospitals should functionally have are listed and the relationship matrix among these units are explained. In this part, examples of existing geriatric hospitals are presented in describing inter-space relationships. In the following section of the third part, examinations in terms of unit-space are done, and unit space functions, spatial requirements and space equipment are outlined. Finally, information about the arrangements to be made in terms of internal space is given. In the conclusions section, the main points of the study are summarized and some suggestions for further research are presented. Keywords: Geriatric hospital, elderly, design