The Green House Project is a model which creates a smaller community for elders, they focus on life and many relationships are formed. Green Houses are different from traditional nursing homes and assisted living facilities. They alter the size of the facility, interior designs, staff members, and the methods for delivering services. The primary purpose is for it to be a place where elders can receive the assistance they need that support the activities of daily living and clinical care. Dr. William Thomas states, “The Green House model is intended to deinstitutionalize long-term care by eliminations large nursing facilities and creating social settings.” The green house vision demonstrates a change in life, work, and relationships.
Green Houses apply to elders qualified to live in skilled nursing homes. Green Houses are licensed as a skilled nursing home and are regulated by each state. It is a home for six to ten elders, which incorporates outdoor and indoor space. Providers need the option of moving Green House nursing homes off of long-term care campuses and across America. Green Houses need to be licensed as a nursing home; service providers may include home health agencies, local health care providers, or an existing nursing home. Departing from traditional nursing homes and moving locations, Green Houses are places where elders can receive the support they need through daily living and clinical care. Green Houses are designed to feel like private homes/apartments in the community. Changes have developed from Green Houses such as introducing plants and animals to structural changes. Changes that occur within Green Houses are deinstitutionalizing elders, moving to a small house setting, changing the structure, and a homelike environment.
For residents, Medicaid, private pay and limited Medicare may cover the elder’s care. But the cost per day depends on the cost structure; Green Houses are licensed as traditional nursing homes are eligible for Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements. There are now more than 100 Green Houses nationally. If Green Houses continued to rise across America the access would definitely increase due to similarities in cost of traditional nursing homes and allow the elders to have a more homelike setting. It’s about quality not quantity in Green Houses. High satisfaction levels have been reported by residents, family, and staff. Also, within Green Houses there has been an increase in daily living activities such as bed mobility, transfer, eating and toileting. There has been a decrease in depression while more meaningful activity increases with relationships and food enjoyment.
Each Green House project is run independently. Green Houses may be developed by individuals and organizations (nonprofit and for-profit) that can provide a high level of services. This proposal plays a large role with the aging population. Dr. Thomas noticed many unexpected deaths in traditional nursing homes and residents did not like what they saw. Dr. Thomas fixed nursing homes by developing Eden Alternative which includes plants, animals, and children into nursing homes. Some people believe that giving grants to Green Houses are not beneficial to elders. But any elder who has had an experience in a Green House would say that the difference is not even comparable. Dr. Thomas interviewed Joe Shapiro in 2005, he said, "I believe that in the nursing home every year, thousands of people die of a broken heart. They die not because their organs fail, but because their grip on life has failed." Along with old age come psychological disorders, evidence shows that Green Houses reduce depression. If depression was decreased there would be an increase in the aging population. Why not help out elders to the best of our ability, while maintaining reasonable cost!
Bailey, Sue. Future Without Nursing Homes? (2004): 6. Web. 25 Mar 2010.
Breindel, DeSantis. Place to Call Home (2008): n. pag. Web. 25 Mar 2010.
Halloran, Liz. "Green House Projects Let Elders Age In Homes." (2010): 2. Web. 25 Mar 2010.
McAilly, Steve. "Green Houses at Traceway Retirement Community: Tupelo, Mississippi - Design Center." (2003): 4. Web. 25 Mar 2010.
I hadn't heard about "Green Houses" prior to reading this, but it sounds like a great concept. Deinstitutionalizing elders is an important part of retaining their quality of life. I feel that getting an elder out of a nursing home evironment and having them placed into a smaller more personal community setting would be very beneficial to their social and mental well being. However on the other side of things, thinking of the very stubborn ways of my own grandmother, I'm not so sure she could handle living with "roommates". But in her case, the "Green House" idea would simply give her another option to choose from if the time came to choose a form of long-term care.
ReplyDeleteI, too, have never heard of the "Green House" method before in terms of long term care. I feel this would be extremely beneficial and sounds like a great idea. It seems that "Green Houses" allow for patients to form relationships with others in the facility. As a future health professional, I understand the imporatnce of social bonding for increased mental and emotional health. I beleive this could help improve that.
ReplyDeleteI am also unfamiliar with the term "Green House" for long-term care. It definitely sounds promising. Residents are in need of more one-on-one care, and that gets difficult when there are a high number residents assigned to one nurse/nursing assistant. However, I am a Certified Nursing Assistant and with my experiences with a couple nursing homes/assisted living facilities, they have already adopted the ideas and principles you mentioned when describing "Green Houses." These facilities have moved to providing "home like" settings, giving residents more freedom, and also offer more individualized attention for residents. I guess I am unsure of how "Green Houses" differ from these already up and coming, revived facilities for older adults.
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