Editor’s Note: The 2020 winners of the McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards are being announced daily through Oct. 6. Skilled Care track winners are being announced here by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. Senior Living track winners are being announced on the website of sister publication McKnight’s Senior Living.
Lifespace Communities’ Village on the Green integrated high-tech safety features across campus during a recent $56 million expansion and renovation. Its efforts resulted in a McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards Gold in the Skilled Care Track’s Safety category.
The community near Orlando, FL, includes a skilled nursing area that benefited from upgrades such as a hardwired nurse call system with duty stations and mobile devices equipped to provide immediate responses — often without having to enter a room. Nurse call, intercom and wander management alerts are integrated in the same system.
“We look for technology that enables us to keep residents safe and healthy, as well as systems that potentially prevent issues from occurring,” says Tracy Smalley, director of program management for Lifespace. “For example, we are currently evaluating fall prevention technology for our skilled nursing neighborhoods, which could prevent injuries and hospitalizations. In the long run, this leads to better quality of life for our residents and peace of mind for their families. We are also anticipating the needs of the next generation, who are accustomed to, and desire, technology to enhance and protect their everyday lives.”
Lifespace worked hand in hand on the project with Direct Supply, which custom-designed around the community’s desired technology selections and coordinated infrastructure including cabling, device installation, programming, testing and staff training.
The campus’ memory care and assisted living areas also received a new Accutech wander solution. Other campus enhancements included a new video surveillance system, digital signage displays, a pedant-based wireless emergency nurse call system and broader wifi coverage.
The campus is part of the 4% of Florida senior living communities that have received the governor’s Gold Seal for demonstrating excellence in quality. Smalley says leveraging technology in a coordinated manner will allow the community to continue its 5-star Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-rated care and improve its services for a growing dementia population.
Other Safety awards in the Skilled Care track:
- Silver: Green Valley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in North Richland, TX, held a COVID-19 “safety sing-along,” a viral, infomercial-like production preaching infection control to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.”
- Bronze: Life Enriching Communities of Montgomery, OH, improved outcomes and reduced fall risk with the use of artificial intelligence-based VSTBalance to assess mobility and inform interventions.
Competition entries were submitted May through July this year and judged by an independent panel of industry experts, including skilled care and senior living specialists.
Stanley Healthcare is the Platinum sponsor of the 2020 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards. MatrixCare is the Gold sponsor for the Senior Living track.
