Following a double win in 2025, Viconic Fall Defense is once again being recognized by McKnight's—this time for its impact on quality of care. 

Viconic Health and Elysian Fields of Red Wing have been named finalists in the Quality category of the 2026 McKnight's Excellence in Technology Awards. 

The recognition builds on Viconic's success at the 2025 McKnight's Tech Awards, where provider partners Ecumen Lakeview Commons and Garden Spot Village earned top honors in the Falls Management and KISS (Keep It Super Simple) categories, respectively. 

This year's entry tells a different—and deeply human—story. 

Protecting the Care Journey Residents Choose 

Elysian Fields of Red Wing incorporated Viconic Fall Defense into its Comfort Care environment, which serves residents receiving hospice, palliative, and respite care — as well as individuals living with advanced illnesses. 

These residents can be particularly vulnerable to falls. Declining strength, cognition, balance, and disease progression can increase fall risk, even as residents remain determined to move independently. 

For Elysian, the goal wasn't simply to address falls. It was to help protect residents without unnecessarily restricting their mobility, independence or choices—and reduce the risk that a fall with major injury could disrupt the care plan they and their families had chosen. 

Installed beneath the finished floor, Viconic Fall Defense provides passive protection when a fall occurs. There are no wearables to charge, cameras to monitor or alerts requiring staff response. The protection is simply there, around the clock. 

And the results at Elysian have been significant. 

Between May 2025 and May 2026, Elysian compared outcomes in 24 rooms with Viconic Fall Defense to 24 rooms without it. Although residents in Viconic-protected rooms experienced more than twice as many total falls during the period, those falls were substantially less likely to result in injury: 

• Falls resulting in injury: 9.2% with Viconic vs. 26.2% without 

• Falls with Major Injury: 1.0% with Viconic vs. 4.8% without — an approximately 79% reduction 

• Falls resulting in an ER visit: 4.1% with Viconic vs. 9.5% without — an approximately 57% reduction 

But for Elysian, the impact goes beyond the numbers. 

More than 75 residents moved through its Comfort Care program during the year studied. Falls occurred, as they inevitably can among such a vulnerable population, yet residents overwhelmingly remained able to continue with the care plans they and their families had chosen. 

That can be especially meaningful for someone receiving hospice or palliative care. A fall with major injury can mean an ambulance ride, hospitalization, and an abrupt change in where and how that person receives care. 

Reducing that risk helps Elysian support something fundamental: the resident's ability to remain on their chosen care journey. 

"Viconic gives us an extra layer of support during a time when residents may not recognize that their physical abilities have changed," said Lucy Boxrud, CEO of Elysian Senior Homes. "If I were doing another ground-up construction project, I would find a way to include it throughout." 

Building on a Double Win 

The 2026 finalist recognition marks the second consecutive year Viconic and its senior living provider partners have been recognized by the McKnight's Tech Awards. 

In 2025: 

• Ecumen Lakeview Commons was recognized in the Falls Management category after Viconic-protected rooms experienced no severe fall-related injuries or ER visits during the study period. 

• Garden Spot Village won the KISS (Keep It Super Simple) category after its pilot similarly demonstrated fewer serious consequences from falls, including no severe injuries or ER visits in Viconic-protected rooms during the pilot. 

Together, the recognition across three different senior living providers demonstrates an important evolution in how fall management can be approached. 

Falls may still happen. The question is what happens next. 

Viconic Fall Defense is a patented fall protection system installed beneath the floor covering to help reduce the risk of fall-related injury, including Falls with Major Injury. Once installed, it works passively and continuously — supporting resident mobility, independence and quality of life without adding another task to the care team's workflow. 

The 2026 McKnight's Excellence in Technology Awards winners will be announced September 16 during the McKnight's Tech Awards + Summit. 

About Elysian Fields of Red Wing 

Elysian Fields of Red Wing provides personalized senior care in Red Wing, Minnesota, including assisted living, memory care and specialized Comfort Care services. Its approach emphasizes individualized care, dignity, and supporting residents and families through changing needs and stages of life. 

About Viconic Health 

Viconic Fall Defense reduces the risk of injury when people fall. A patented fall protection system right under the floor covering, Viconic is engineered for reducing the risk of fall-related injuries and for ease of installation. Once installed, it invisibly supports mobility, healthy aging, and independence for years to come. Viconic is trusted by the U.S. military and is an ideal option for new construction and remodels in all senior living care settings, as well as for home remodels for those wishing to age in their own homes.