Hot weather is a real risk in a care home. The NHS lists adults aged 65 and over, people with serious long-term conditions such as heart problems or dementia, and people taking several medicines among those most at risk. Many residents fit more than one of those descriptions.
Air conditioning isn’t the whole answer, but it can give you cool space when you need it most. This guide covers what UKHSA’s guidance asks for, where to start, the system choices, resident comfort and safety, hygiene, how installation can work around residents and the paperwork that comes with it.
What the official guidance says
UKHSA’s hot weather guidance for social care managers notes that people at high risk can find it hard to cool themselves once temperatures rise above 26°C. It asks care homes to make sure there is a cool room or area that can be kept below 26°C, to check and record indoor and outdoor temperatures during the hottest periods, and to know how to check room temperatures where residents spend most time.
The same guidance says fans and air conditioning units should be clean, working, serviced and portable appliance tested, and warns that electric fans shouldn’t be used above 35°C. UKHSA and the Met Office issue Heat-Health Alerts, which are worth building into your plan.
Where to start
- A cool room. A lounge or dining room that can hold below 26°C on the hottest days, with enough space for residents who need it.
- Bedrooms of the most at-risk residents, especially on upper floors and sunny elevations, and for residents who are cared for in bed.
- Medication rooms. Medicines have storage temperatures on their labels; a hot treatment room can put stock at risk.
- Staff areas and offices, so the people giving care can keep going in a long hot spell.
A phased plan lets you spread the cost while dealing with the biggest risks first.
Choosing the system
Small homes often use wall-mounted split or multi-split systems room by room. Lounges and dining rooms with suspended ceilings suit cassette units, which spread air evenly without blowing at one chair. Larger homes with many rooms often suit VRF, with one central controller and, on heat recovery systems, the ability to heat some rooms while cooling others.
Most of these systems heat as well as cool, which can be useful in rooms that are hard to keep warm. Fresh air is a separate question: air conditioning recirculates room air, so check your ventilation too. See ventilation systems.
Want it done properly? AirCon Doctor installs, repairs and services air conditioning and heat pumps across London and the South East, from our base in East Grinstead. We’re an F-Gas certified company and NICEIC approved. Get a fixed-price quote.
Resident comfort and safety
- Airflow. Position units so air doesn’t blow straight onto beds or favourite chairs. Older people often feel draughts more.
- Controls. Residents should be able to ask for a change, but most homes prefer staff to manage settings. Central controllers or lockable remotes can set sensible limits.
- Noise. Choose quiet indoor units for bedrooms and keep outdoor units away from bedroom windows.
- Condensate. Pumps should be quiet and have overflow switches; a drip on a floor is a slip hazard.
Hygiene and servicing
Dirty filters and coils recirculate dust and can cause smells. In a care setting, servicing deserves more attention than at home: filters checked often, coils and drain trays cleaned, and records kept so you can show the system is maintained, as UKHSA asks. Many homes choose a maintenance contract with visits planned before summer. Our annual service guide lists what a service covers.
Installing in an occupied home
Residents can’t move out while work is done. We plan installations room by room, agree times with your team, keep noisy drilling away from rest times where we can, control dust and leave each room clean and usable at the end of the day. We follow your sign-in, access and infection control procedures, and agree a method statement with you before we start.
Paperwork, VAT and compliance
- F-Gas. Larger systems may need yearly or six-monthly leak checks under GOV.UK’s leak check rules. We keep the records.
- TM44. If the total cooling output of your systems is over 12 kW, an inspection by an accredited energy assessor is needed at least every five years; see the GOV.UK inspection guide. We can prepare your systems and fix what it finds.
- VAT. HMRC’s Notice 708/6 counts homes providing care for elderly or disabled people as residential accommodation if they are the sole or main residence of at least 90% of residents. We confirm the VAT on your quote. This isn’t tax advice.
See our medical and care sector page or contact us for a site survey.
Quick answers
What temperature should a care home cool room be?
UKHSA’s guidance asks for a cool room or area that can be kept below 26°C, because high-risk people can find it hard to cool down above that.
Which rooms should a care home cool first?
Usually a communal cool room first, then the bedrooms of the most at-risk residents, medication rooms and staff areas.
Can you install while residents are living in the home?
Yes. We work room by room, agree times and procedures with your team, control dust and leave each room usable at the end of the day.
Is VAT charged on care home air conditioning?
It may be zero-rated where HMRC’s conditions for residential care homes are met. We confirm the VAT on your quote.
Related services
- Medical air conditioning
- Commercial air conditioning
- Air conditioning maintenance contracts
- VRF air conditioning
More advice
- Keeping Elderly Relatives Cool in a Heatwave
- Air Conditioning for Medical and Dental Practices
- What Is VRF Air Conditioning? Guide for Business Owners
- TM44 Air Conditioning Inspections Explained
- All advice
This guide is general information, checked against the sources linked on 30 October 2026. It isn’t legal, tax or financial advice. Rules, grants and product ranges change, so check the current position before you rely on it.