| A senior living community is much more than just a | | | | changed out all the incandescent light bulbs in its |
| building full of people. It is a caring environment of | | | | communities in favor of compact fluorescent lamps, |
| residents, family members, nurses, caregivers, and | | | | Hamilton says. The result is 75 percent less energy |
| staff members. After all, it's the place residents call | | | | used to produce the same amount of light. "The |
| home, where they have a sense of comfort and | | | | compact fluorescent lamps are even being used in all |
| security. | | | | chandeliers and sconces, giving a warm, homey feel |
| But then again, it is a building full of people-a physical | | | | and still plenty of light." |
| space designed to create a warm environment, while | | | | Hamilton notes that the company has also begun |
| still allowing for the practical functions critical to | | | | replacing all of its original inefficient fluorescent light |
| delivering high-quality care. Shared spaces, | | | | fixtures in common areas and corridors to a higher- |
| apartments, kitchens, and offices must have efficient | | | | efficiency Avanti light, which reduces the amount of |
| climate control. This community also needs systems | | | | energy used and has a two-sided wash of light, |
| that support energy-saving lighting and appliances to | | | | reducing the number of fixtures needed in most |
| help cut costs. And it needs cutting-edge building | | | | areas yet still producing "a very bright and cheerful |
| technologies that can do everything from track | | | | ambiance for our residents." Country Meadows is |
| residents' movements to perform basic resident | | | | midway through a two-year program to swap out |
| assessments. | | | | the lighting in all common areas. |
| Everything that goes into your buildings can either | | | | At Five Star Senior Living, Shea is doing his retrofit |
| contribute to or detract from your organization's | | | | with Sylvania products. "It's low-level technology, but |
| operational excellence. So which building technologies | | | | it is also a great way to get out there and see some |
| are plausible and affordable? | | | | bottom-line savings quickly, without a lot of capital |
| Smart Building Control | | | | outlay," he says. |
| Probably more than ever before, senior living | | | | Future Focused |
| communities are benefiting from a range of HVAC | | | | While HVAC and green strategies are solidly in the |
| technologies that help save money and increase | | | | mainstream, other "a la carte" building technologies |
| comfort. Plus, eco-friendly systems help buildings run | | | | also hold promise. Least glamorous and yet arguably |
| more efficiently while improving residents' quality of | | | | the most compelling of the new building technologies |
| life-particularly when it comes to air quality-making | | | | is the smart toilet, says James M. Warner, principal of |
| energy-saving systems effective marketing tools, | | | | JSA Architecture Planning & Interior Design in |
| too. | | | | Portsmouth, New Hampshire. A unit from |
| Will Shea, corporate director of facilities management | | | | manufacturer Toto can perform an automatic urine |
| for Newton, Massachusetts- based Five Star Senior | | | | analysis, as well as measure weight, body mass, |
| Living, says the company has been strategically | | | | blood sugar, and blood pressure. Toto's toilet links to |
| implementing smart building control systems at | | | | a PC to produce charts and graphs. |
| several of its communities. "We are taking the latest | | | | "This is the kind of technology that can keep people |
| technologies that are out there and applying them in | | | | in an assisted living setting longer and can keep them |
| our buildings in the proper locations," says Shea. In | | | | healthier," Warner says. |
| other words, the company is first targeting those | | | | Also related to a community's plumbing system, |
| communities best suited for these systems and | | | | Pancake says the latest piping technology can save |
| measuring results along the way. This saves on | | | | time and money in the costly construction process. In |
| upfront costs and allows for case-by-case | | | | particular, the PEX Plumbing System replaces copper |
| customization. | | | | with easily-to-install plastic pipes. "It goes in |
| The latest building control systems, for example, | | | | remarkably fast," he explains, and unlike copper, it |
| allow staff members to accurately monitor a building's | | | | can take twists and turns without risk of kinking up. |
| various room temperatures in an easy-to-navigate | | | | New generations of plumbing and piping may not be |
| PCbased format. "If part of the building has spiked up | | | | among the most exciting building technology |
| to 80 degrees, we can see that right away," Shea | | | | topics-but what they lack in glamour, they make up |
| explains. Building control systems can also balance | | | | for in cost savings. Still, some building technologies |
| load, storing up heating or cooling power for the | | | | can certainly deliver both- weaving together a higher |
| hours of peak consumption. | | | | level of efficiency and a marketable cool factor for |
| A number of Five Star Senior Living communities are | | | | the community. |
| being retrofitted with these technologies, starting | | | | For example, Five Star Senior Living is testing |
| with the least-efficient buildings. "We are looking at | | | | integrated GPS functionality at several of its |
| the buildings that are consuming the most energy, | | | | communities that provide Alzheimer's care. The |
| the buildings with the oldest equipment," Shea | | | | technology becomes part of the physical building and |
| explains. In some cases control systems are 30 years | | | | has the ability to track residents efficiently and |
| old. Costs for conversion can run $30,000 to | | | | unobtrusively. "If somebody went through a door in |
| $150,000 depending on the size and complexity of | | | | an elopement situation, you would still be able to |
| the retrofit, "but you can see the ROI on those | | | | locate that resident and get them back quickly," Shea |
| technologies pretty quickly." | | | | explains. "There are good marketing opportunities in |
| At communities owned and operated by Hershey, | | | | that." |
| Pennsylvania-based Country Meadows Retirement | | | | Along these same lines, Warner is fascinated by the |
| Communities, the push to upgrade control systems | | | | latest built-in motion detectors from manufacturers |
| has driven efforts to update obsolete heat pumps | | | | like Philips. These sophisticated infrastructure tools |
| and similar equipment. The company has steadily | | | | can map a pattern of activities and recognize when |
| been updating infrastructure in many of its 33 | | | | something is amiss. |
| communities, some of which date back 15 to 25 | | | | "The software associated with this equipment can |
| years. Newer, more advanced heating units "prevent | | | | analyze movements and if something changes |
| major temperature swings and save energy, but still | | | | dramatically-if somebody falls or does not get up |
| allow our residents their individual comfort," says | | | | from a nap-that will alert staff to take a look at |
| Michelle Hamilton, vice president of operations for the | | | | what is going on," says Warner. Such motion sensor |
| company. "We also have started over the past two | | | | technologies are becoming so mainstream in senior |
| years to change out resident room PTAC (packaged | | | | living communities today that it seems the rest of |
| terminal air-conditioning) units to more | | | | the population is taking notice. A current research |
| energy-efficient GE Zoneline 5800 model PTACs," she | | | | study funded by the National Institute on Aging aims |
| says. | | | | to prevent falls among seniors using the latest motion |
| Across many business sectors, building and facilities | | | | sensor technologies. Researchers are using sensors in |
| experts often agree that heating and cooling | | | | carpets, walls, and clothing to conduct long-term |
| systems are an area where owners stand to reap | | | | studies of seniors as they age, so that tailored |
| the greatest gains in terms of operating costs, | | | | prevention measures can be developed to guard |
| comfort, and rapid return on investment. | | | | against potential falls and shed light on activity |
| "The greatest advancements in technology are in the | | | | patterns and behaviors. |
| mechanical systems, simply the way we approach | | | | Doubly Good |
| heating and cooling buildings," says Doug Pancake, | | | | Motion sensor technologies, GPS capabilities, toilet |
| principal at Irwin Pancake Architects, based in Costa | | | | analytics, HVAC control systems, next-generation |
| Mesa, California. Plus, the progress goes well beyond | | | | pipes-all of these and many other physical building |
| just air-conditioning. The latest in HVAC technologies | | | | strategies not only help create a better living |
| marry the structure to the needs of the bottom line. | | | | environment for residents, they become a selling |
| Pancake points to thermal storage as an example. | | | | point for the community. When prospective residents |
| "We are designing systems that actually generate | | | | and family members learn about your community and |
| cold water or ice at nighttime, when you can get a | | | | compare it to others in the market, how stacked will |
| really good price from the power companies," | | | | your building features be? |
| Pancake explains. The idea is to build up a storehouse | | | | Particularly in the competitive senior living business, |
| of cold water when prices are low, "and then in the | | | | every effort to enhance resident care and contribute |
| daytime, when the prices go up, you are circulating | | | | to operational efficiencies matters. Family members |
| that water that is already cold." However, in a | | | | and residents alike value green initiatives, for |
| strategy like this one, "you have to find a place to | | | | example, making it even more strategic to implement |
| keep the tanks," Pancake advises. | | | | ecofriendly systems. |
| 'Green' Lights | | | | According to a Harris Interactive poll, more baby |
| In 2010, some $60 billion in new construction will fulfill | | | | boomers and seniors are making the environment |
| some environmentally friendly criteria, up from $12 | | | | and green living a priority in their daily lives: 94 |
| billion in 2008, according to McGraw-Hill Construction | | | | percent of baby boomers have taken steps in the |
| Research & Analytics. | | | | past year to go green; 81 percent are concerned |
| In practical terms, green building strategies for many | | | | about the environmental legacy they will leave for |
| senior living communities begin with turning on the | | | | their grandchildren grandchildren; and 79 percent want |
| lights. While luminescence may not be the most | | | | to do more to reduce their carbon footprint. |
| glamorous of all building technologies, it is the one | | | | Additionally, ALFA is working with the EPA to |
| where resident impact and ROI are most readily | | | | develop an assisted living category within the Energy |
| visible. | | | | Star Healthcare Facilities Division. |
| Over the past year and a half, Country Meadows has | | | | |