Security Sales July 2021 - 48

of the best
2021 Integrated
Installation of the Year
Runners-Up
Direct Supply
Simplifies Senior Living
D
Direct Supply's installation
included eight different
low-voltage systems integrated
throughout the property.
irect Supply is an employee-owned
company based in Milwaukee that
specializes in providing equipment,
eCommerce and services
to the senior living industry. The company was
chosen to take part in a multimillion-dollar
makeover of Friendship Village of Bloomington
(Minn.), a community by Lifespace.
The client desired a wide range of high-tech
features. " Brand-new independent living units
were constructed, including wellness-focused
features. This retirement community features
technology that was designed to enhance resident
care and make the facility run more efficiently, "
says Patrick Mahoney, Direct Supply
senior technology designer.
The project included an enhanced video surveillance
system, digital signage displays and a
wireless emergency nurse call system that allows
residents to use pendants to request assistance
from anywhere on campus. Suites include WiFi
coverage for care providers' handheld emergency
communications devices.
An electronic access control system was added
at exterior and interior doors, including
the parking garage doors. The security systems
were required to function with existing elderly
residents living elsewhere on the campus who
would visit the facilities, new residents in the
building, guests of residents visiting the building
and the on-site staff. For visitors and deliveries,
an intercom system was installed at main
vestibules and the receiving door with master
intercom stations located in the lobby and
kitchen that allowed audio communication and
remote door release, Mahoney says.
Wander management was also a priority for
this community. " Sixty percent of people with
Alzheimer's or dementia will wander. This project
included a reliable wander management protection
system that seamlessly integrates with the
community's security protocols. At-risk residents
wear a bracelet that resembles a wearable fitness
device. The wander management system alerts
seamlessly integrate with the wireless nurse call
systems. Care was taken to ensure the exciters
on the wander management system would not
interfere with the wireless access control system
credential readers, " explains Mahoney.
48
Security Sales & Integration JULY 2021
This aspect created a unique challenge for Direct
Supply. The company says it has proven difficult
for memory care communities to balance
the code requirements for egress with the needs
of residents. For example, in the memory care
portion of the project " the clinical needs of persons
receiving care require their containment "
and therefore, restricting egress is important.
Mahoney says when design of the project began,
Minnesota law 144G for assisted living did
not allow egress paths to restrict exiting. Due to
the code restrictions, the facility was designed
with delayed egress locking. The delayed egress
only withholds exiting for 15 seconds. Elopement
after 15 seconds was identified as a risk,
and residents with memory issues can suffer severe
injuries as the result of flight.
During construction the state law was
changed for buildings with an I-1 occupancy.
The owner and operation teams voiced concern
about resident safety and the potential of elopement
using the construction document arrangement
of delayed egress. With the code change
the AHJ allowed the plans to be changed, adding
special locking arrangements to control
egress, as the clinical needs of persons receiving
care require locking to prevent elopement.
" In working with Direct Supply, Lifespace
created a forward-thinking, world-class safety
solution to ensure residents, guests and staff are
safe at all times. This building features eight different
low-voltage systems, and the integration
of these systems sets it apart from other communities, "
adds Mahoney.
Friendship Village of Bloomington (Minn.) chose
Direct Supply to provide state-of-the-art safety
and security to the residents of its new assisted
living and memory care apartments and suites.
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Security Sales July 2021

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