[Updated: August 31, 2021 | Published: August 31, 2021]

Maintaining a healthy senior living environment for residents, associates and visitors is our highest priority at Friendship Village of Dublin.

Besides promoting resident wellbeing through the nine dimensions of wellness we call The Village Way, our management team and board of directors continue to invest in state-of-the-art technologies.

“The Covid-19 pandemic inspired us to reassess our built environment and cleaning protocols,” said Associate Executive Director Seth White. “To help prevent virus transmission, we’ve invested six figures in Bipolar Ionization, Victory Guns, R-Water and other air filtration and cleaning technologies.”

Bipolar Ionization Systems Filter Viruses and Other Pollutants from the Air

With the help of McCarthy Consulting, our construction Owner’s Representative, we have installed Bipolar Ionization systems in strategic areas of our campus.

Integrated into our HVAC systems, this technology employs specialized tubes that take oxygen molecules from the air and convert them into charged atoms, called ions.

The ions cluster around microparticles, surrounding and deactivating harmful substances like airborne viruses, bacteria, mold, bacteria and allergens.

The ions also attach to expelled breath droplets and dust particles that can transport viruses, enlarging them so they’re more easily caught in filters. This process provides continuous disinfection.

With McCarthy’s help, we integrated Bipolar Ionization into the HVAC systems at our Muirfield Room and Legacy dining rooms, allowing us to welcome residents back to these dining rooms early this summer.

“We conducted baseline testing before and after installation that showed how effective this system is at moving and cleaning air to create a healthier environment,” Seth said.

“In fact, we were so impressed with the initial systems that we integrated BPI technology throughout our new Alderwood Health & Rehab facility.”

On July 15, tests at Alderwood showed ion levels exceeding the minimum threshold recommended by the manufacturer.

“The more the ions, the shorter the inactivation time,” Seth said. “Based on the manufacturer’s testing, the system will inactivate the SARS-CoV2 virus at a rate of at least 90 percent in less than an hour.”

When Alderwood opens, all residents and associates will enjoy the benefits of this new system.

R-Water TK60 Disinfectant Kills Covid-19

“In the beginning of the pandemic, buying disinfectant for our facilities was extremely difficult,” Seth recalled. “To eliminate this issue, we made a sizable investment in an R-water system.”

R-Water’s technology produces water-based, nontoxic, environmentally friendly cleaning and disinfecting solutions, allowing us to manufacture our own disinfectant on campus.

Using a solution composed of 99.98 percent water and .02 percent Hypochlorous Acid (HOCL), R-Water’s TK60 One-Step Disinfectant kills the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 in less than 20 seconds.

It knocks out other germs, including MRSA, c. difficile, and TB, within one minute.

Victory Electrostatic Sprayers Enhance Cleaning Efficiency

With the pandemic making it harder to source disinfectant cleaning supplies, our ESS team researched technologies that use less disinfectant and provide more coverage.

After considerable research and testing, they invested in over 20 electrostatic sprayers from Victory Innovations.

By placing a positive charge on disinfecting liquids such as the R-Water TK60 One-Step Disinfectant described above, these sprayers use less disinfectant and cover more area. This enhances cleaning efficiency and effectiveness.

“Everyone on campus calls them R-Guns, maybe because they look like something you’d see aliens carrying in the original Star Trek,” Seth said. “They now play a vital role in disinfecting high touch points throughout our community.”

ESS Department Ensures a Healthy Environment

“Every member of our Environmental Support Services team has gone above and beyond during the pandemic,” Seth said.

This 20-person team keeps our residences and all public spaces sparkling clean under the direction of three leaders:

• Pam Collins, ESS Supervisor, Independent Living,
• William Stone, ESS Supervisor, Independent Living, and
• Brian Garrabrant, ESS Licensed Care Supervisor.

The ESS team continually researches and implements innovative solutions for making Friendship Village of Dublin a better place to live and work.

“Thanks to their hard work, our new normal includes safer and cleaner surroundings for all of us,” Seth said. “I can’t thank them enough for all they have done to create a healthy senior living environment at Friendship Village of Dublin.”