Environments for Aging - Winter 2022 - 12

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The Springs Living makes a
mark with Fitwel Certification
TELEHEALTH IMPACTED
CARE ACCESS FOR MEDICARE
BENEFICIARIES DURING PANDEMIC
F
E
ARLIER THIS YEAR, The Springs
at Greer Gardens in Eugene,
Ore., was awarded Fitwel certification
using the newly created
senior housing scorecard-a
first for the certification system,
which outlines guidelines for supporting better
health and wellness outcomes for buildings
and sites, including commercial, multitenant,
retail, multifamily residential, and senior housing.
Brenda Connelly, president of The Springs
Living (McMinnville, Ore.), which operates
nearly 20 senior living communities in the
Northwest, says the organization began looking
at the program in 2020 at the invitation of one
of its primary capital partners and the Center
for Active Design, which operates the certification
program. " It was an innovative approach to
being able to take credit for a lot of what we've
already been striving to do, both operationally
and design-wise, to create these living spaces, "
she says.
Fitwel certification is based on criteria that includes
operational policies for indoor air quality,
cleaning practices, design strategies, access
to green spaces, and amenities such as fitness
centers and walking trails. More than 70 evidence-based
design and operational strategies
are evaluated in the senior housing scorecard.
Connelly says the organization chose to start
12 | winter 2022
with its Greer Gardens community because
it was one of its newer locations (it opened in
2018) and already seemed to fit many of the
strategies identified in the scorecard, such as
walking paths to impact health, common areas
designed to support socialization, and an
on-site herb garden that enhances access to
healthy foods. The senior living organization
then identified some Fitwel goals that would
require modification to its community design
or operations, such as adding hydration stations
and improved wayfinding on walking
trails throughout the campus, says Chris Shelby,
director of design at The Springs Living. Additionally,
because Fitwel focuses on both staff
and resident wellness and health, the organization
repurposed existing spaces into staff support
areas, including adding separate staff lockers
in the fitness center and a lactation room.
Connelly notes that the certification not only
supports the organization's goal to provide
healthy communities, but also provides a marketing
benefit. " That commitment to health
and wellness really shines through when we
walk through those advantages with a prospective
resident or staff member, " she says. Moving
forward, The Springs Living plans to seek Fitwel
certification for several existing communities
as well as implement strategies during
planning and design on new projects.-AD
ROM MARCH 2020 to February 2021,
Medicare beneficiaries used 114.4 million
telehealth services-or 88 times
more telehealth services compared to the
previous year, according to the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Office of Inspector General's Data Brief
" Telehealth Was Critical for Providing Services
to Medicare Beneficiaries During the
First Year of the Covid-19 Pandemic. "
The study was designed to gather insight
into the use of telehealth in both Medicare
fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage
programs during the first year of the pandemic,
during which HHS and the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) implemented specific actions to
temporarily expand access to telehealth
for Medicare beneficiaries. Among the
findings are:
* More than 28 million Medicare beneficiaries
used telehealth during the first
year of the pandemic.
* Usage peaked in April 2020 and remained
high through early 2021.
* Routine appointments with a primary
care provider or specialist accounted for
54.4 million visits by beneficiaries, or
just under half of all telehealth services
during the first year of the pandemic.
* Other top telehealth services included
virtual care (29.8 percent), behavioral
health (12.4 percent), and nursing
home visits (2.9 percent).
For more information on the data brief,
visit oig.hhs.gov.-AD
efamagazine.com
LORDN/STOCK.ADOBE.COM (COUPLE WALKING); PROXIMA STUDIO/STOCK.ADOBE.COM (TELEHEALTH)
http://www.efamagazine.com
Environments for Aging - Winter 2022

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