While supporting infection control initiatives was already a consideration in the design and specification of products for senior living, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the conversation around it.
In the panel discussion “Infection Control Roundtable” to be held during the upcoming EFA Spring Summit, experts representing leading product manufacturers as well as interior designers will address where the industry is today and where it needs to go from here.
The panel will be held from 2:30-3:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 28, followed by the opportunity for audience members to talk face-to-face with the speakers in a Zoom breakout room to tackle product category-specific questions and concerns.
Speakers are:
- Laura Busalacchi, senior director of interior services, Brookdale Senior Living
- Joe Martere, regional vice president, healthcare/senior living, Mohawk Group
- Hillary DeGroff, associate principal, Perkins Eastman
- Stan Gray, senior director of marketing, healthcare and hospitality, Carolina, an OFS Company
Goals for the conversation include identifying where the industry stood with infection control prior to COVID-19, how the pandemic has impacted both design and specification, best practices regarding maintenance and cleaning protocols, ideas to help cut through the current infection control noise, and ways industry members must collaborate moving forward to ensure pandemic response doesn’t create institutional environments.
Attendees are encouraged to help guide the conversation, as well. Please submit questions in advance to Jennifer Kovacs Silvis, editor-in-chief of Environments for Aging and moderator, at [email protected]. The panel will do its best to address them.
Ahead of the conversation, the panel offered details on what’s top of mind for them right now when it comes to infection control and prevention.
“We need to keep this current environment in perspective, as we don’t want the senior living environments turning into healthcare environments.”—Laura Busalacchi, Brookdale Senior Living
“Due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, we have all certainly witnessed an increase in awareness and focus on proper infection prevention and control in senior living environments. However, I strongly encourage my clients to follow the science. The fact remains that selecting high-quality, durable, cleanable, and sustainable finishes should remain the priority while assuring proper CDC sanitizing and disinfecting guidelines are followed to promote healthy and safe indoor environments for residents, staff, and visitors.”—Joe Martere, Mohawk Group
“Moving forward, it will be important for senior living communities to consider the need for greater infection control measures while balancing the desires of seniors to live and thrive in communities that don’t feel institutionalized.”—Stan Gray, Carolina, an OFS Company
“We’ve all experienced first-hand over the course of the past year that flexibility is the name of the game when it comes to space use, and materiality plays a critical role in that.”—Hillary DeGroff, Perkins Eastman
For more information and to register for EFA Spring Summit, visit environmentsforaging.com/summit.
