During the Feasibility Study Meetings we discussed that the telephone, speaker, and paging systems needed to be replaced or updated. The following comments reflect the desires of staff and management:

• Use pagers instead of speaker system so as not to disturb residents and prevent possible privacy issues (quality of life issue)
• Have classical music on speaker system
• Have voice mail
• Have combination of phone pagers to allow voice communication

The cost of a pager/phone broadcast system can vary between $10,000.00 and $20,000.00. Pager phones have a fairly broad range of prices, as well, averaging less than $200.00 each. A system of this type should be able to receive alpha-numeric messages from the building’s computer system, as well as from the telephone system. We would suggest using $25,000.00 as a budget.

Speaker systems capable of playing music probably would require more than one amplifier, should the 120 bed addition be constructed. We would suggest allowing about $15,000.00 for the installation of this system in the existing or renovated building.

For a building of this size, a digital phone system including all new equipment with paging capability and capacity to expand into the proposed addition would probably cost less than $20,000.00 for the house phone system (no resident rooms).

Total estimated cost is $60,000.00.