This section of the Hospital Environment Audit Tool (HEAT) contains five modules:
- Model of care
- Food and mealtimes
- Equipment maintenance
- Sensory and thermal environment
- Cleaning
These modules consider how systems, policies, procedures and processes in a hospital setting can be built upon to ensure the environment supports the care of older people and enables them to participate in their care.
The modules in this section are designed to take from 15 minutes to 30 minutes to complete. The audit modules may be completed individually or as part of a broader audit of the facility. Some questions in these audit modules may need to be checked with other staff or departments in your facility.
Your facility may have some services provided by external contractors, for example cleaning, and this may mean that your ability to alter policies and procedures may be limited or indirect. In these case, you are still encouraged to undertake the audits and consider way you might implement any suggested changes.
Model of care
This audit module is designed to be used when you want to determine how your systems, policies, procedures and processes support best practice in the care of older people.
It looks at how the policies and procedures regarding your ward’s model of care optimise an older patient’s participation in their care and encourage their family and carer to be included as part of the care team.
You may use this audit module on its own or as part of an audit of other aspects of policy and procedure, or of the physical space.
We recommend that this audit module be used in conjunction with the ‘Bedside orientation’ audit module. The ‘Bedside orientation’ audit module is designed to be used with every patient, on admission or after a transfer. Consider incorporating the use of the ‘Bedside orientation’ audit module into your hospital or ward policies and procedures.
This audit module contains 15 questions and will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.
Food and mealtimes
This audit module is designed to be used when you want to determine how your systems, policies, procedures and processes support the provision of food and drink during and between mealtimes.
It also looks at how the policies and procedures regarding your ward’s day to day operation enable an older patient’s participation in their care and encourage their family and carer to be included as part of the care team.
You may use this audit module on its own or as part of an audit of other aspects of policy and procedure, or of the physical space.
This audit module contains 12 questions and will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
Equipment maintenance
This audit module is designed to be used when you want to determine how your systems, procedures and processes support the maintenance of equipment.
It looks at how the policies and procedures regarding your ward’s equipment maintenance schedule enables an older patient’s participation in their care.
You may use this audit module on its own or as part of an audit of other aspects of policy and procedure, or of the physical space.
This audit module contains 6 questions and will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.
Start the equipment maintenance
Sensory and thermal environment
This audit module is designed to be used when you want to determine how your systems, policies, procedures and processes can help optimise the sensory and thermal environment experienced by patients.
It looks at how light, noise, smells, textures and temperature influence an older patient’s participation in their care.
You may use this audit module on its own or as part of an audit of other aspects of policy and procedure, or of the physical space.
This audit module contains 11 questions and will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.
Start the sensory and thermal environment
Cleaning
This audit module is designed to be used when you want to determine how your systems, policies, procedures and processes support the maintenance of a clean environment.
It looks at how the policies and procedures regarding your ward’s cleaning schedule optimise an older patient’s care, noting that cleaning may be a service that is outsourced by the health service, therefore the ability to alter cleaning policies and procedures may be indirect.
You may use this audit module on its own or as part of an audit of other aspects of policy and procedure, or of the physical space.
This audit module contains 8 questions and will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete.
Reviewed 17 July 2024