How Assisted Living Communities Become Green and Reduce Costs
“We’re finding that the myth that building green is a major expense doesn’t
hold water,” says the manager of La Posada, a “continuing care”
assisted living community located in Arizona. According to a recent article in
EcoHome, the elderly residents at La Posada are “part of the driving
force behind greening the existing buildings.” In making their community far
less wasteful, La Posada expects only a “3% to 5% increase in cost,” which will
result in an immeasurable increase in their residents’ quality of
life.
La Posada's green success is not unique. BlueMap’s
Director of Sustainability, Oren Jaffe, says that assisted living communities
across the country can take simple steps to lower their environmental impact
while, “raising community morale, providing a safer working environment for
staff and residents, saving money, and uniquely differentiating themselves in
their local communities.”
One simple step assisted living communities
can look into is a lighting retrofit to increase their energy efficiency and
decrease their monthly bills. But switching out older more wasteful bulbs with
low-cost T-5 or T-8 fixtures is just a start. Because most assisted living
communities leave their lights on most of the time, installing motion or
occupancy sensors for hallways, bathrooms, laundry, or storage rooms is another
impactful way to save money. In fact, many local utility companies (PG&E in
California for instance) offer rebates to companies for installing these types
of energy efficient products.
Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning
all use up immense amounts of energy which is not only financially expensive but
also environmentally costly as well. One great way assisted living communities
have found to offset heating and cooling bills is to use a geothermal system.
This system relies on a set of zig-zaging under the earth. Air flowing through
these tubes naturally raise or lower to the stable temperature underground
allowing a heat pump to pre-heat or pre-cool the air before sending it through
the system. Even better, geothermal systems spare the climate from thousands of
pounds of carbon emissions, Another simple measure, that can save money is
utilizing a programmable thermostat which allows you to pre-program your heating
and air-conditioning settings to regulate your communities’ temperature in both
summer and winter.
Being more energy efficient is just one example of
how retirement communities can reduce costs as well as lower their environmental
footprint for the planet. There are dozens of other emission reducing and
natural resource utilizing improvements that can be made, without adding major
bottom line costs. These include using low-flow water systems for your sinks,
showers, and toilets, using cloth napkins instead of paper, using only low- or
no-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) paints and sealants, fixing drafts and air
leaks, collecting free rain water to use for your gardens, using non-toxic
cleaning supplies, and even recycling cans, paper, cardboard, and glass. But,
the benefits of becoming green are not just conservation based; there is a great
added value in creating more sustainable lifestyles for your residents and staff
as well.
As global warming and climate change issues become more and
more publicized, there has been a rise in the public’s devotion in halting the
earth’s state of crisis. Websites like Green Seniors:
Environmental Action, No Age Limit prove that this issue is of high
importance for all demographics. By updating just some of your facilities’
appliances and implementing innovative eco-practices, residents will feel more
connected to the community at large as they will see how their very own homes
are creating a cleaner world. Residents will no doubt take pride and ownership
in their facilities’ efforts; which lead directly to their increased happiness,
the staff’s gratification, and the relationship between the two. Engaging
everyone in compost or recycling competitions or planting gardens with only
local flowers and grasses (which consume less water) will spark better
interpersonal involvement.
Oren Jaffe is the Director of
Sustainability at BlueMap Inc., a sustainability and
environmental research firm specializing working with Assisted Living
Communities to find solutions that reduce our clients' environmental impact
while simultaneously lowering their costs. BlueMap's goal is to objectively
establish the business case for sustainability. Although being "Green” is a
rapidly- growing and powerful marketing trend, BlueMap's deliverables are not
solely about how to market oneself as green. Rather, it is about finding ways to
reduce cost by choosing greener alternatives.
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