Advances in skilled-nursing facility design have made disease prevention easier, but skilled-nursing facility operators work in the oldest physical plants in the longterm care space, according to an article on the Skilled Nursing News website.
Many facilities were built before bacteria-fighting copper fixtures and negative airflow systems existed but upgrades can be expensive.
A complete overhaul to meet newer standards of disease prevention and design could come in at 70 percent of the cost of a new building.
However, most architects agree that when it comes to weighing the costs and benefits, it’s often wise to make these investments, the article said.