In senior living and extended care facilities, dependable heating is more than a matter of comfort. It’s also a core requirement for resident safety and a major regulatory issue. That’s because older adults are especially vulnerable to temperature fluctuations, making it critical for facilities teams to maintain a reliable system.

With aging infrastructure, extreme weather events, and rising utility costs, many senior care facilities are reevaluating how they heat their buildings and protect residents during the coldest parts of the year. An integrated approach, combining central heating with supplemental systems and proactive maintenance, can significantly reduce health and safety risks while ensuring operational continuity throughout the seasons.

Complementing Central Heating Systems

Central heating systems form the backbone of most senior care facilities, yet on their own they may be insufficient for keeping residents comfortable. Long corridors, older wings, and perimeter rooms often struggle to maintain consistent temperatures, especially when outside temperatures dip significantly. When deployed correctly, unit heaters and infrared heaters can serve as effective supplemental solutions. 

Unit heaters can provide quick, localized heat and reduce the strain on central boilers or furnaces during high-demand periods. When integrated with thermostatic controls, unit heaters can maintain even temperatures without overheating adjacent areas. They can be especially good in dining rooms and other open, common spaces, where heat loss tends to be a more pressing concern.

Meanwhile, infrared heaters warm people and surfaces directly rather than heating the air itself. This makes them well-suited for entryways and vestibules, as well as spaces that have higher ceilings or more frequent door openings.

With either type of heater, it’s important to ensure proper installation. Some general tips and best practices include:

• Proper sizing to avoid overheating.
• Professional installation to verify code compliance.
• Integration with existing electrical or gas infrastructure.
• Clear placement away from residents and combustible materials.

Improving Ventilation and Air Quality

Heating performance is closely tied to ventilation. As senior living facilities become more energy efficient and airtight, airflow can suffer. This contributes to pressure imbalances, stale air, and increased strain on heating equipment.

Make-up air systems address these concerns by introducing controlled, tempered outdoor air to replace air exhausted by kitchen hoods, bathroom fans, and laundry systems, as well as air lost to frequently opened doors and breezeways.

For senior care environments, make-up air systems offer several critical advantages:

• Improved indoor air quality for residents and staff alike.
• Reduced drafts and cold air infiltration.
• Balanced building pressure for consistent heating.
• Lower risk of backdrafting from combustion appliances.

By preheating incoming air, these systems prevent cold air from disrupting room temperatures or overloading centralized heating structures. This is especially important during winter months when untreated outside air can significantly affect internal comfort levels.

One additional note: good ventilation supports infection control efforts, reducing airborne contaminants while also maintaining thermal comfort. For facilities balancing air exchanges with energy efficiency, modern make-up air units can provide long-term operational benefits above and beyond temperature regulation.

Prioritizing Maintenance and Insulation

Even the most reliable heating equipment will underperform without regular maintenance and proper insulation. Preventative care not only reduces breakdowns but also extends equipment life, ensuring predictable comfort and safety for many years to come.

Facilities teams should establish a seasonal maintenance checklist that includes:

• Inspecting boilers, furnaces, and heat exchangers.
• Cleaning burners and heat transfer surfaces.
• Testing thermostats and control systems.
• Checking belts, motors, and electrical connections.
• Replacing or cleaning air filters regularly.

Routine inspections help identify small issues, whether failing sensors or restricted airflow, before they snowball into system-wide failures, something that can be especially disastrous when it happens in the thick of winter.

Meanwhile, insulation plays a critical role in maintaining consistent indoor temperatures. Key areas to assess include:

• Exterior walls and roofing.
• Mechanical rooms and exposed piping.
• Windows and doors, where air leakage can be common.
• Attics, crawl spaces, and utility penetrations.

Sealing gaps, replacing weatherstripping, and insulating any visible piping can significantly reduce heat loss. For older facilities, targeted insulation upgrades often pay off quite quickly, both in terms of comfort improvements as well as energy savings.

Ensuring Safety and Protecting Residents

Safety is paramount when introducing or maintaining heating equipment in senior living or extended care facilities. Supplemental heaters must be selected and installed with resident protection in mind. 

There are a few particular considerations worth noting:

• Avoid portable space heaters in resident facilities; mounted unit heaters are the safer option.
• Be strategic in placement, ensuring units are not faced toward combustibles.
• Keep a safe distance between unit heaters and any furniture or medical equipment.
• Consider the use of protective guards or enclosures where necessary.
• Be sure surface temperatures are kept low, minimizing the risk of scalding.
• Train all staff members, and especially maintenance staff, in safe heater operation.
• Respond quickly to any complaints about overheating, as well as cold spots.

Providing safe and dependable heating in a senior living facility requires a multi-pronged strategy. Central heating systems are important, but they should be augmented with supplemental heaters, improved ventilation, preventative maintenance, and safety-first design. This kind of layered approach builds resilience against both routine challenges and unexpected disruptions.

With these strategic investments, facilities teams can maintain safe, comfortable environments that support resident wellbeing throughout the coldest months of the year.

Jamie Tuinstra is a product manager at Modine Manufacturing, where he oversees product development, profit optimization, and customer satisfaction for both new and established product lines. 
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