Nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, a number that’s projected to almost double by 2050. Sinceri Senior Living, a leader in innovative senior care since 1986, has continuously evolved to meet the diverse needs of this growing population across the nation. With services spanning independent living, assisted living and specialized memory care, Sinceri provides compassionate and comprehensive support.
One of their distinguished communities, Pacific Gardens Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Gresham, offers specialized care for seniors living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Their Meaningful Moments program focuses on a deeply personalized approach, learning about each resident’s life – from passions and family to hobbies and achievements – to create emotionally and mentally enriching experiences.
Central to this philosophy is ensuring the comfort of their residents. Yet, like many older assisted living facilities, Pacific Gardens faced challenges with outdated and inefficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Room temperatures fluctuated dramatically – cold at night, hot during the day – disrupting the comfort that’s so vital to residents, especially those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia, who are more vulnerable to fluctuations in temperature.
It became clear that significant upgrades were necessary to maintain the high standards of care and comfort Pacific Gardens is known for.
“During our research to find a solution, the most crucial things for us were improving the resident’s comfort by balancing the temperature in the buildings but also lowering costs and saving energy,” said Rachel Rudiger, vice president of environmental operations at Sinceri Senior Living.
Initially, the plan was to replace only a few gas furnaces in the areas that needed them most. However, after exploring their options, they saw a bigger opportunity: a complete retrofit of the entire system. This would not only bring the facility up to code but also maximize energy efficiency across the board.
After carefully selecting the best equipment for their existing structure, Pacific Gardens partnered with Energy Trust of Oregon to complete the project. Thanks to this collaboration, they secured $19,200 in cash incentives to replace their entire gas furnace system with new, high-efficiency models. The project involved removing all outdated units and installing 12state-of-the-art furnaces, setting a new standard for comfort and sustainability at the special care center.
“We were looking for the best product with an overall 15- to 20-year life span,” said Tyler Chick, senior management director at Sinceri Senior Living. “And choosing a high efficiency unit that would not only last long but brought down our monthly expenses made it an easy choice. Working with Energy Trust, I was able to find the best cash incentives for our needs.”
With new, high-efficiency gas furnaces, Pacific Gardens is now saving approximately $1,500 on utility bills each year. These savings not only help manage operational costs but also allow the facility to reinvest in resident care and other essential services.
More importantly, the upgraded system ensures consistent and reliable heating throughout the entire facility, which directly benefits the residents by creating a more stable and comfortable living environment. There are no longer rooms that are too cold at night or too hot during the day – a crucial improvement for those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
“We’ve experienced amazing performance from the units. Residents are now very comfortable, and lower energy bills have helped us use the money we have saved to greatly enhance the resident experience,” said Chick.
For the staff and facility operators, the benefits are equally significant. With a modern, efficient system in place, maintenance demands have decreased, freeing up time and resources. Plus, by reducing the facility’s overall energy consumption, Pacific Gardens is taking meaningful steps to lower its environmental footprint, contributing to a more sustainable future.
Learn more about how your assisted or senior living facility can reduce energy use and save money with cash incentives for energy-efficient equipment upgrades. Visit our equipment incentives page or email existingbuildings@energytrust.org to get started.