Moving a family member or loved one into a senior care facility is never easy. You want to be confident that they’re safe, well cared for, and living in a healthy, comfortable environment. But there’s one factor that often gets overlooked: the air they breathe every day.

In larger facilities, where people live and move close together, the air can quickly become a concern. Germs spread more easily, odors linger, and everyday pollutants accumulate. This can affect both the health and comfort of residents and staff.

Recent reports about Candida auris outbreaks show how fast infections can move through senior living communities. In one case in Columbia, South Carolina, emergency responders even refused to enter a facility because of the dangerous fungus, which is notoriously difficult to control.

If air quality is a concern in your facility, there are solutions designed to address the realities of senior living. For example, Maple Air’s PürPlasma™ works with existing HVAC systems to reduce contaminants in the air and on surfaces to create a safer, healthier environment for residents and staff.

The Growing Concern Around Candida Auris in Senior Living

Candida auris is a drug-resistant fungus that has been spreading in healthcare environments for several years. Once it enters a facility, it can be hard to eliminate.

Senior living communities are especially vulnerable because residents and staff live in close quarters. Shared spaces, frequent contact, and commonly used equipment make it easier for infections to spread. Residents with existing health conditions may be more seriously affected and take longer to recover.

Candida auris mainly spreads through surfaces and direct contact, but it can also attach to particles in the air, like dust or skin cells. That means it can move beyond a single room without anyone realizing it, especially in buildings with shared HVAC systems and crowded spaces.

Facilities dealing with outbreaks often face:

• Isolation protocols and disruptions to daily operations
• Increased reporting and oversight requirements
• Reputational damage that can affect occupancy, pricing levels, and trust

Even with thorough cleaning, the fungus can linger on surfaces or re-enter the air during normal activity. Strong cleaning protocols, proper ventilation, and air purification systems that treat both air and surfaces continuously are the best way to stop Candida auris before it spreads.

Other Air Quality Risks in Senior Living Facilities

Candida auris isn’t the only challenge facing healthcare facilities. Most senior living environments face multiple air quality issues at once, especially in larger, busier buildings.

Some common challenges include:

• Airborne viruses like flu, norovirus, COVID, and RSV
• Bacteria in high-traffic areas, including dining rooms and hallways
• Mold and moisture problems, especially in older buildings
• VOCs from cleaning products, furniture, and building materials
• Odors and irritants that affect comfort for residents, staff, and family members

These risks often overlap, which is why facilities need a solution that can handle them all – not just one problem at a time.

Why Standard Air Purifiers Often Fall Short

Many senior care facilities use air filtration of some kind, but consumer-grade units or small devices only work in limited areas. They aren’t designed for full-building coverage or continuous use.

Traditional filters capture particles as air passes through them, which helps with dust and some allergens. But anything that doesn’t pass through simply stays in the air. Most filters also don’t address surfaces, where pathogens like Candida auris can linger on furniture, equipment, and other high-touch areas.

For this reason, senior living facilities need systems that actively manage both air and surfaces throughout the building.

What an Effective Nursing Home Air Purification System Should Do

Air purification in a senior living environment needs to reflect how the building actually operates every day.

A strong system should:

• Treat both air and surfaces, not just what passes through a filter
• Target a wide range of pollutants, including bacteria, viruses, mold, VOCs, and odors
• Run continuously without relying on manual intervention
• Work within existing HVAC systems

It should also scale across the facility. Senior living communities often include private rooms, common areas, dining spaces, and clinical spaces. The system should perform consistently in all areas, not just isolated zones.

Facilities need a solution that works quietly in the background and can handle real-world conditions, every day.

How Maple Air Fits Into Senior Living Environments

Maple Air’s PürPlasma™ technology takes a proactive approach. Instead of capturing particles in one location, it interacts with contaminants throughout the space.

As air moves through the HVAC system, PürPlasma™ creates a stable, energized plasma field that produces oxidized molecules. These molecules circulate through the environment and break down airborne contaminants into simpler, harmless compounds. Because this happens continuously, the system provides ongoing treatment, rather than just filtering the air once.

Maple Air can be installed in ductwork to cover the entire building or used in wall-mounted units for specific areas. By treating both air and surfaces, it addresses the way contaminants naturally move between the two.

Maple Air is completely safe to operate and 100% ozone-free, a crucial factor in facilities where residents may have respiratory conditions or other health issues.

Third-party testing showed that Maple Air PürPlasma™ deactivated airborne viruses in about one minute, while other systems like PCO and ionizers took significantly longer. In real-world spaces with constantly moving air, faster response times are critical.

The Benefits for Residents, Families, Staff, and Operators

Better air quality helps residents breathe easier and feel more comfortable, while lowering their exposure to germs and irritants. Staff benefit too, with fewer sick days and healthier working conditions, which reduces stress and turnover.

For facility operators, cleaner air supports infection control, lowers the risk of disruptive outbreaks, and keeps daily operations running smoothly. It can also improve staff retention, since people are more likely to stay in facilities where safety and health are prioritized.

There’s a financial benefit as well. Poor air quality can lead to lost productivity, higher healthcare costs, and more complaints. Improving air quality reduces disruptions, keeps residents satisfied, and helps facilities operate efficiently over time.

Families notice too. Clean, healthy air is increasingly part of how people evaluate senior living communities. They want assurance that their loved ones are safe, comfortable, and well cared for.

A Practical Step Toward Safer, Healthier Facilities

Air quality in nursing homes can’t be handled reactively anymore. Health risks evolve, and families expect high standards. Air quality is now a key part of safety, performance, and long-term planning.

The good news is that improvements don’t have to be complicated. Air purification systems that integrate with existing infrastructure can upgrade air quality in a practical, scalable way.

For facilities focused on protecting residents, supporting staff, and maintaining smooth operations, investing in comprehensive air purification is a step worth taking.

To learn how a system like Maple Air’s PürPlasma™ could fit into your facility, reach out to the team at info@getmapleair.com to start the conversation.