CHEXIT keeps residents safe

Royal Oaks Friendship House Case Study Sun City, Arizona

Challenge

Royal Oaks is an upscale retirement community in Sun City, Arizona that has been in operation for more than three decades providing independent living, assisted living, memory support and 24/7 nursing care for its residents. The facility was originally designed with semi-private rooms, which did not make it easy for residents to personalize their space. This was especially problematic for the 50 percent of Royal Oaks residents who suffer from Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Their feelings of anxiety and confusion were magnified because their personal space was compromised. Having a place to display mementos is important to help them trigger fond memories about the past. In order to provide care better suited to the needs of these residents, Royal Oaks decided to develop a separate memory care facility, called the Friendship House.

The new 56-room, two-level building presented some unique challenges for the planning and design team, which included the director of health care services, the facility manager, contractors, an architect and interior designers. They had to balance the desire for an open, welcoming home-like environment with the need to ensure that the residents suffering from memory loss were safe and secure in the building.

In addition, they wanted the facility to have an inviting outdoor area, so residents could enjoy its therapeutic benefits and move safely from one part of the facility to the next. "Safety of the cognitive impaired while allowing them to make choices freely and move from one place to another in their living environment can sometimes be a challenge," said Dina Capek, Royal Oaks Director of Health Services." We wanted to have a way to alert the companions when any resident walked from indoor to outdoor spaces."

In order to do that, the facility manager needed to find a door hardware that could both accommodate the unique needs of memory care residents and caregivers, and provide for highlycontrolled entry and exit traffic.

Royal Oaks' new Friendship House needed a solution that could:

• § Ensure all residents were accounted for in the building
• § Integrate with the facilities' nurse call system
• § Provide delayed egress to better control access to certain areas of the building

Solution

To address concerns about resident elopement, Royal Oaks needed a delayed egress solution for all of the facility's stairwell, exterior and back-of-house doors as well as all patio and garden gates. The Royal Oaks facility manager worked closely with a planning and development committee that included contractors, an architect and the channel partner to research the right solution that could seamlessly integrate with their nurse call system. That's when they turned to Von Duprin ® for a highly customizable device that could be configured to meet their needs.

Ideal for highly-controlled areas, the Von Duprin CHEXIT delayed egress device provided the facility manager with a security and safety solution tailored for a memory care environment. The CHEXIT is UL 294 Listed and meets the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and International Building Codes (IBC) requirements for delayed egress. The CHEXIT reduces patient elopement by keeping the door secure for up to 15 seconds while alerting staff of the unauthorized exit attempt. The device can also easily be integrated with access control systems, working in conjunction with a fire detection system to immediately allow residents to exit in the case of an emergency.

The Von Duprin CHEXIT delayed egress device provided the facility manager with a security and safety solution tailored for a memory care environment.

Results

Friendship House now has delayed egress devices that fully integrate with their nurse call system which provides peace of mind for caregivers, while making sure that memory care residents are safe. In fact, since opening in early 2015, the facility has not had a single incident of a patient accidentally leaving the grounds. Friendship House's facility manager stated that "the locks [exit devices] have worked out great – everything is operating as it should."

"The new building is sectioned into four 'neighborhoods,' with 14 private rooms in each. The rooms are surrounded with a 2,300 square foot living area for media use, mediation, dining, cooking, laundry and more," said Capek. "The Friendship House is designed to allow this natural flow of activity and conversation, where people will enjoy their day in a natural and effortless kind of way that feels stable and safe."

The greatest result of all has been the improvement in the quality of life for residents, of which many are now able to better express themselves, much more engaged in everyday activities and have greater mobility. With CHEXIT devices in place, residents are able to develop a routine similar to household living, which provides both a sense of independence and accomplishment, and ensures they stay safe.

About Allegion

Allegion (NYSE: ALLE) is a global pioneer in safety and security, with leading brands like CISA®, Interflex®, LCN®, Schlage® and Von Duprin®. Focusing on security around the door and adjacent areas, Allegion produces a range of solutions for homes, businesses, schools and other institutions. Allegion is a $2 billion company, with products sold in almost 130 countries. For more, visit www.allegion.com.