The Center for Health Design Blog

Update on GHSI

Recently, the decision was made to conclude the activities of the Global Health & Safety Initiative (GHSI) and dissolve the current organization. Formed in October 2007, GHSI was a network of leading health systems and other health partners that were committed to championing and implementing a sustainability and safety agenda within their health systems and communities.

The founding health systems and partners remain committed to the goals of GHSI, but they determined that there were more efficient and effective ways to achieve sector-wide leadership — particularly in light of today’s economic and political climate.

So, the plan is to fold the work into Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) and its sister organization, Practice Greenhealth (PGH), and make it an initiative of HCWH. This yet-to-be named initiative will continue to focus on patient, workplace, and community health and safety, but will focus more on the impact environmental sustainability has on patient and occupational safety.

The Center for Health Design is planning to continue to be involved in this initiative, as we believe there is a natural link between the evidence-based design process and sustainable building design — particularly as it relates to safety. For example, toxins and resource consumption can be reduced by choosing the right surface materials, air-handling systems, water processing systems, and lighting. In turn, research has shown that many of these design choices help decrease falls, infections and errors.

In the meantime, there are lots of good resources on sustainability and safety the GHSI document library, which will remain live until March 31. Check them out and watch this blog for more information on the “new” initiative.

Communications/AV Expert Critical to LTC/Senior Living Projects

This past weekend, I attended the DESIGN: Environments for Aging architectural showcase issue judging in Dallas. Published by Long Term Living magazine, this annual review is a collaboration between SAGE, The Center for Health Design, ASID, and the Vendome Group (publishers of LTL).

At the end of the judging, there was a roundtable discussion in which we talked about a variety of trends and features common to many of the 40 project submittals. (These folks were architects, interior designers, developers, owners, regulators, and other consultants to the long-term care/senior living industries.)

I found the discussion about integrating technology and facility design fascinating. Everyone in healthcare is dealing with it, but in long-term care/senior living facilities, the needs are a bit different. Not only do you need to plan for things like nurse call systems, electronic medical records, and motion sensors, but also for personal computers, sound systems, televisions, DVRs, gaming systems, telephones, etc. — the stuff that all of us have in our houses.

Now I don’t know about you, but anytime my husband or I have to figure out something like setting up a new television or connecting all our devices to a wireless network, it’s complicated. We most always call in an expert. And apparently a new breed of expert — a communications/audio visual consultant — is starting to emerge in long-term care/senior living to deal with all the technology that has to be integrated into these facilities.

One gentleman shared a story about a client who, in order to run a wire through a tight space, brought in a small dog, attached a wire to him, put him into the tight space, and called his name at the other end to run the wire. So actually what you need is a communications/audio visual consultant with a small dog.

All kidding aside, my point is that architects and designers aren’t experts in technology, just as they aren’t experts in landscape or lighting design, or art. So it makes a lot of sense to bring in a communications/audio visual consultant at the very beginning of the project to be a part of the team. Vendors may be able to help with some of it, but it’s the integration of all of it that requires one expert.

It also makes a lot of sense to budget for all of this stuff, especially the personal technology piece — because this is going to be a growing area of importance to the next generation of seniors who will be living in these facilities. And the next generation of seniors is my 75-year old father who has an iPhone, laptop computer, HDTV, DVR, and Playstation.