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Facility cleaning with drones

Cleaning & Maintenance Management As recently reported by KATC news in Lafayette, Louisiana, the top of the hometown sports arena and convention center — appropriately named the Cajundome — was getting covered in dirty grime, and something had to be done about it. How do you clean a dome that’s 165-feet high? In the last [...]

Expense pressures overtake workforce issues as top challenge for operators: NIC

McKnight’s Senior Living Increasing operating expenses are overtaking staffing issues as the biggest challenge facing senior living and care organizations, according to the results of a new survey by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care, released Thursday. Although workforce issues remain a challenge for operators — especially recruiting (80%) and turnover (80%) [...]

Scorching days ahead, but energy reduction and comfort can still be achieved

Buildings Season after season of searing heat and rolling brownouts are leading to higher than ever energy costs. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently reported that the average July temperature in the contiguous U.S. was the third warmest July in its 128 years of record-keeping.  READ MORE

Simplifying lighting selection

Facility Executive With the latest introduction of LED technology, specifying the ideal lighting system for a new construction and remodeling project can be a daunting task. Just in the last 10 years, low-voltage LED linear lighting, or LED lighting that distributes light over a longer, more narrow area than traditional LED lighting such as recessed [...]

Legionella bacteria detected in water samples at Honolulu senior housing complex

KITV-TV Some residents at a local senior housing complex were recently notified of low levels of the Legionella bacteria found at the facility.  READ MORE

Not if, but when: Choosing the right time for upgrades

IFMA’s FMJ magazine Despite preventative maintenance efforts, some technology and equipment reach the end of their end of their useful life. Choosing the right time to restore, replace or upgrade will keep FMs prepared for capital planning and future needs.  READ MORE

$500 million ‘hero pay’ initiative goes into effect for assisted living and other workers

McKnight’s Senior Living Minnesota’s frontline workers are now able to apply for their share of $500 million in “hero pay.” Employers, however, must take certain steps to comply with notification requirements. Gov. Tim Walz signed the Frontline Worker Pay Law in April, authorizing state-funded bonus payments to various frontline workers, including assisted living employees.  READ MORE

Microfarms, speakeasies, robotics: Kisco, Commonwealth Envision future of senior living dining

Senior Housing News The future of dining in senior living will include more locally-sourced ingredients, resident-facing technology and a rise in resident choice. Senior living operators including Commonwealth Senior Living and Kisco Senior Living are using technologies to improve their ability to offer better, healthier food and a more enjoyable experience in their dining rooms.  READ [...]

How to spot troubles in different types of roofs

FacilitiesNet If maintenance and engineering managers are to achieve the long-term performance of their existing roofing systems, it is essential that they implement a comprehensive program that includes regular inspections, required maintenance and timely completed repairs. Depending on their operations, managers can develop a program that uses outside contractors or in-house personnel.  READ MORE

Hotels have gone to the robots

The Washington Post On a typical workday at the Dream Hollywood hotel in California, Alfred waits by the front desk for marching orders. Wearing a white collar and black bow tie, Alfred springs into action when a guest requests shampoo or a phone charger, moving through the lobby to the elevator, riding up to a [...]

Hotels expand into Airbnb territory by offering private homes

The Washington Post Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel company, tucking travelers into nearly 1.5 million rooms in more than 8,000 properties. Yet, when I embarked on a recent quest for accommodations in Annapolis, the hospitality behemoth did not lead me to any of its brands — four in Maryland’s state capital alone — [...]

Expand affordable senior housing to help older adults age in place, 40 senators say

McKnights Senior Living Expanding affordable senior housing and the programs that support it is the impetus behind a letter from 40 U.S. senators. In a letter delivered Wednesday to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, a group of legislators led by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) expressed support for “robust” funding for [...]

Wood-burning boiler balances sustainability and maintenance

FacilitiesNet Institutional and commercial facilities have undertaken a range of efforts over the last two decades to minimize the impact of their operations on the environment. From water conservation and recycling, to reflective roofing and solar energy, updated technology and processes have enabled organizations to curtail waste, minimize costs and benefit the environment.  READ MORE

Future-proof facilities: Optimizing indoor environments

IFMA’s FMJ magazine As occupants are more cognizant of healthy building principles, FM must turn to effective disinfection solutions to mitigate risks from shared spaces. One such strategy is UV-C can facilitate continuous and autonomous disinfected indoor environments.  READ MORE

Construction defects: What is your legal recourse?

FacilitiesNet Facility managers know the importance of budgeting for the regular and ongoing maintenance and repairs that are required for the preservation and upkeep of their buildings. However, for the owners of newer facilities, some repairs and maintenance may not be of the “ordinary” variety.  READ MORE

National bill would require senior living operators to implement workplace violence prevention plans

McKnights Senior Living Senior living and other long-term care and healthcare providers would be required to create workplace violence prevention plans to protect employees under proposed bipartisan legislation. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, introduced by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and announced Wednesday, directs the Department of Labor’s Occupational [...]

Preventing commercial laundry room fires in senior living communities

McKnight’s Senior Living The risk of fire in senior living communities is ever-present. Specific areas of operation, including commercial laundry rooms, are more vulnerable to fire than others. A series of fires occurring in senior living properties recently have made the …READ MORE

Demand surges for Latitude Margaritaville communities as brand seeks westward expansion

Senior Housing News In the months after the pandemic hit last year, demand for the Latitude Margaritaville brand of 55-plus communities inspired by Jimmy Buffett surged — and it hasn’t slowed down since. “For Minto and the brand, we had a very successful and strong sales year last year, and we’ve seen that spill over [...]

Fire-Resistance-Rated Assemblies In Existing Buildings

Facility Executive By Bill McHugh For some reason, fire-resistance-rated assemblies and their components have been forgotten in existing buildings. Maybe it’s that some believe sprinklers will stop the fire. Maybe they believe fire won’t happen in their building. Maybe they just don’t know how important fire-resistance-rated assemblies are?….READ MORE

10 Steps to Creating Proactive Facilities Maintenance; Part 1 of 3

FacilitiesNet How to change over a facility management operation from reactive to proactive. The way that facilities are managed can range from whack-a-mole maintenance to well-oiled-machine, and everything in between. If you find yourself in the position of having to “fix” a less than dialed-in facility maintenance program, it can seem quite overwhelming. You might [...]