Man pointing his smart watch front of his wife in a park

AI technology’s progress toward senior care

December 12, 2018

People are starting to come to terms with the problems of aging America, and indeed the world, pose. Forbes reports over the first half of this century the percentage of people 60 years of age and older will almost double, …

Categorized: Health Care Facilities

Close up of elderly person with walking zimmer

Better design means fewer falls

September 20, 2017

According to The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury or death among people 65 and older. According to the American Geriatric Society, most falls for this population occur in hospitals and nursing homes, …

Categorized: Health Care Facilities

a female senior nurse or matron is chatting to a young a young student nurse is attending to the dressings trolley at the foot of a patient's bed . They are all defocussed apart from the patient's hand in the foreground.

New approaches to controlling infections

May 17, 2017

Drug resistant bacteria are a consistent concern in hospitals and healthcare facilities. No matter how well your cleaning crew cleans, there are still going to be bacteria and spores left behind. Studies show that less than half of surfaces are …

Categorized: Health Care Facilities

Diverse group of health care professionals are meeting in hospital board room to review new patient and insurance policies. Doctors, nurses, and administrators are in casual meeting studying procedures and charts. They are wearing business casual clothing, scrubs, and lab coats. They're drinking coffee during the morning staff meeting.

Active Shooter Planning and Response

April 5, 2017

According to a study in Annals of Emergency Medicine, from 2000-2011 the United States had 154 hospital-related shootings. An FBI study noted that from 2000-2013, active shooter incidents have become more frequent. The first seven years of their study show …

Categorized: Health Care Facilities

Hospital employe noise reduction strategies

Hospital employee noise reduction strategies

May 11, 2016

The noise levels in modern healthcare facilities impact not only patients’ ability to sleep, but also anxiety and stress. It can also negatively affect providers’ abilities to properly care for their patients. In one famous case, noise fatigue led a staff member to turn off a patient’s beeping heart monitor.

Categorized: Health Care Facilities

The Invasion of Superbugs in Your Healthcare Facility Continues

The Invasion of Superbugs in Your Healthcare Facility Continues

September 28, 2015

Despite some improvements, plenty of opportunities remain for preventing and eliminating healthcare associated infections (HAIs), a headache for facilities managers that can be costly for healthcare facilities wanting to avoid reimbursement penalties from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. …

Categorized: Health Care Facilities

HHS Releases Active Shooter Planning Guide

HHS Releases Active Shooter Planning Guide

February 25, 2015

With the recent passage of a California law that requires hospitals to develop more comprehensive workplace violence plans, the next step in helping healthcare facilities become safer has arrived, thanks to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Late …

Categorized: Health Care Facilities

Are Healthcare-Associated Infection Rates Improving?

Are Healthcare-Associated Infection Rates Improving?

February 20, 2015

Preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) at hospitals and clinics has become very important in the facility management world, particularly over the past two years. This increased recognition of the spread of infectious diseases has come at the right time as healthcare …

Categorized: Health Care Facilities

Managing/Embracing Change at Your Facility by Example

Managing/Embracing Change at Your Facility by Example

January 26, 2015

Change is not merely necessary to life… It is life. Alvin Toffler Growing a capable team of leaders is vitally important to the success of any facilities manager who can’t be everywhere 24/7. Successfully honing the skills described in a …

Categorized: Health Care Facilities

Are You Taking Advantage of ASHRAE's Free Services?

Are You Taking Advantage of ASHRAE’s Free Services?

January 20, 2015

From time to time in this space, we share some of the latest in free tools, from Building Industry Reporting and Design for Sustainability (BIRDS) to Smart Grid technology and the Building Energy Quotient (bEQ) program, in hopes of making …

Categorized: Health Care Facilities