Sabra Health Care REIT joins wellness initiative to improve indoor living spaces for seniors

Sabra Health Care REIT, based in Irvine, Calif., joins an alliance of senior living industry leaders and companies to provide healthier and safer indoor living spaces for residents and staff.

As a member of the WISE (Wellness Innovation in Senior Environments) initiative alliance, Sabra will participate in the Well Living Lab, founded in collaboration with Delos and Mayo Clinic, to accelerate research in clinical studies aimed at improving living spaces. interiors in communities of the elderly.

New York-based Delos, which provides technology and products to make indoor spaces healthier, launched the WISE initiative with senior living industry leaders, the Well Living Lab in Rochester, MN conducting the research.

“Working with Delos and the Well Living Lab to assess available alternatives to address critical health and wellness issues in seniors facilities and advising owners and operators on appropriate and cost-effective solutions will benefit the industry. , to our operators and, most importantly, to the residents and patients cared for at our facilities,” Sabra CEO Rick Matros said in a statement.

The initiative with Sabra expands on a research partnership with investment management firm Harrison Street, which is leading the first of several studies that will examine the ways circadian lighting could improve people’s health and cognitive function. seniors in seniors’ communities.

“Understanding how elements of the indoor environment affect the health of residents will provide actionable insights and strategies in designing and operating communities that support the well-being of our seniors,” said Jill Brosig, Head of Harrison Street’s impact, in a statement.

Sabra will initially investigate how to improve indoor air quality in skilled nursing facilities through portable air filtration. A second phase of the study will examine how building improvements could reduce employee stress and burnout and potentially reduce the incidence of resident falls while improving cognitive health.

Well Living Lab executive director Barbara Spurrier said the air quality research extends to a previous study that investigated the effects of portable air filtration on air quality. in a simulated classroom environment. The laboratory seeks to extend this investigation to the living environments of the elderly.

WELL health and safety ranking

In addition to research collaboration, Sabra also encourages and supports its portfolio operators to pursue WELL health security assessment as part of its ongoing environmental, social and governance initiatives. The rating, from the International WELL Building Institute, relates to new and existing buildings and spaces and focuses on operational policies and maintenance protocols to meet health and safety challenges during the pandemic and beyond.

Chicago-based Enlivant, an independent living, assisted living and memory care operator with a large presence in Sabra’s portfolio, was recently named the first senior living provider to earn a WELL Health- rating. Safety for the operation and management of facilities across its portfolio of 215 communities.

“The WISE initiative is fully aligned with Sabra’s strategy of investing in assets that embody the most forward-thinking approaches,” Matros said. “We believe that what happens inside our buildings is what matters most and are always looking for innovative solutions that improve the lives and experience of our operators.”

Approximately 20% of Sabra’s portfolio consists of managed or leased seniors’ residences, with skilled nursing accounting for another 60%. Besides Enlivant, other portfolio operators include Holiday Retirement, North American Healthcare, Signature Healthcare, Avamere Family of Companies, Acadia Healthcare, Healthmark Group, The McGuire Group and CommuniCare.