The Green House Project Announces Support for Bold Nursing Home Reform Plan

LINTHICUM HEIGHTS, MD., March 2, 2022 – The Green House Project (GHP) on Wednesday announced its support for the Biden administration’s plan to overhaul nursing home care in America, particularly its focus on fostering the development of private rooms while phasing out multiple-occupancy units in long-term care.

Each of the more than 200,000 COVID deaths – and counting – in long-term care since the start of the pandemic is unacceptable. Only through bold action will the U.S. achieve the long-delayed goal of creating an eldercare landscape that Americans truly deserve.

“We cannot respond to historic tragedy in nursing homes with anything less than historic actions,” Green House Project senior director Susan Ryan said.

GHP stands ready to assist the Biden administration, along with federal and state agencies, in its goal to make the multi-occupancy nursing home room a relic of the past. Undignified and institutional before COVID, shared nursing home rooms are infection-control liabilities in our new pandemic normal.

We urge the administration and Congress to make private rooms a requirement of participation in Medicare and Medicaid, a move that would functionally eliminate shared units across the country by removing any financial incentive to maintain them. In addition, a $1.3 billion pilot program included in the currently stalled Nursing Home Accountability and Improvement Act of 2021 provides a vital blueprint for how the government, which provides the overwhelming majority of the nursing home industry’s revenue, can balance the need for payment incentives against the even greater imperative of transparency and accountability.

GHP also calls on the wider provider community to approach the Biden proposal with the same end goal in mind: providing high-quality care for elders in dignified and safe settings.

“Change is always difficult, and the natural reaction to any new regulation or requirement is resistance and skepticism,” Ryan said. “But the hard truth is that the current long-term care system failed elders and their loved ones – not because of one individual or organization’s actions, but because decades of misaligned incentives and ineffective policies made this tragedy impossible to avoid once the pandemic struck.”

Real systemic reform will honor the sacrifices that frontline caregivers have made since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. Every day for two years, the people who work in nursing homes have put themselves – and, by extension, their families – at risk to continue performing their vital duties in a setting that became the most dangerous workplace in the country.

“A failure to embrace this call for change, even if we may not all agree on every point, would be a failure to recognize the selflessness and heroism of the long-term care workforce,” Ryan said. “We collectively owe them a future where they can do the job they were called to do – providing comfort and support for elders – with the wages, benefits, respect, and safety they’ve always deserved.”

With the right combination of new regulations and payment incentives, the federal government has the power to reshape long-term care in unprecedented ways. GHP applauds the Biden proposal as a necessary first step toward true change.

“We can never undo the harm that residents, families, and workers have experienced in the wake of COVID and poor care in nursing homes,” Ryan said. “But we can honor them by refusing to fall back on old patterns and excuses, and instead joining the administration’s call for reform. We owe future generations of America’s elders nothing less than our full commitment to change.”

About The Green House Project

Since 2003, The Green House Project has led a revolution in the way we provide eldercare services. With private rooms, warm communal areas, empowered care teams, and an emphasis on connecting with nature, Green House homes provide a vital alternative to institutional nursing facilities. GHP believes that elders, no matter their physical or cognitive challenges, deserve to live a meaningful life in a setting that doesn’t just feel like home – because it truly is home.

Media Contact

Alex Spanko, Director of Communications
aspanko@thegreenhouseproject.org

Press Releases

  • Person-directed eldercare veteran to serve as liaison for partners across the country November 13, 2023, Linthicum Heights, Md. — The Center for Innovation, the non-profit parent of The Green House Project and Pioneer Network, today announced the hire of Stacey Bergmann as director of community and network relations.  In this new role, Bergmann will serve as the primary liaison to LinkedUp — the Green House peer network — and Pioneer Network state coalitions, developing and executing strategies to support the growth and sustainability of those relationships. As the connector between the national CFI organization and partners at the state and local levels, Bergmann will amplify the voices of eldercare changemakers across the country.  Bergmann has more than 20 years of experience in the senior living sector, most recently serving as president of VOICE PA, a non-profit organization of both providers and consumers seeking to infuse person-directed care practices into eldercare services throughout Pennsylvania.  “I’m delighted to join the Center for Innovation and serve as a resource for Green House communities, Pioneer Network coalitions, and care reform champions across the United States,” Bergmann said. “Changing the culture of eldercare services has always been a grassroots, locally-driven movement, and I’m honored to support the dedicated people working on behalf of elders in cities and towns everywhere.”  Bergmann also previously owned B-Enriched Living, a consulting firm focused on enriching the lives of older adults through the education and empowerment of care partners. She is an advanced practice certified therapeutic recreation specialist and dementia consultant, with an emphasis on evidence-based, holistic care that promotes wellbeing for older adults.  “CFI is committed to supporting the incredible people who have powered The Green House Project and Pioneer Network for decades,” CFI CEO Susan Ryan said. “Stacey’s extensive experience with person-directed care and elder advocacy will be an invaluable resource to our state and local partners who turn concepts and philosophies into reality every day. Her hire further reaffirms our commitment to sustaining and expanding the work of our Green House operators and Pioneer Network partners.”  Bergmann earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Delaware and trained in therapeutic recreation at Temple University. She also holds a master of health science degree — with a focus on health education and dementia care research — from St. Francis University. At CFI, Bergmann will work full-time remotely from her home in southeastern Pennsylvania.  About the Center for Innovation The Center for Innovation is the parent organization of The Green House Project and Pioneer Network, two non-profit groups dedicated to building the next generation of high-quality, empowering services and supports for elders. Whether we’re helping providers build small-home alternatives to traditional communal care settings, changing the operational culture of existing communities, or providing workforce training, CFI is the catalyst for person-directed living and empowered cultures in the community of one’s choice. Media Contact Alex Spanko, Director of Communications 516-587-2097 aspanko@thegreenhouseproject.org

  • The Green House Project, ACH Group celebrate milestone in care for older people everywhere LINTHICUM, MD. AND ELIZABETH, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, September 21, 2023 – ACH Group in Australia on Wednesday formally opened Healthia, the first full implementation of the Green House care model outside of the United States. After staff from The Green House Project (GHP) traveled to Australia to provide education and support this past summer, residents began moving into Healthia in August. ACH Group marked the formal grand opening Wednesday with a special reception for the community and area officials, including the Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Chris Picton MP. Susan Ryan, CEO of the Center for Innovation – the non-profit parent of The Green House Project and Pioneer Network – appeared via video to celebrate the occasion. “The power of dignified, person-directed care is universal across borders, languages, and cultures,” Ryan said. “Working with ACH Group to implement the Green House model has shown the world that small, intentional care communities can work everywhere.” Since 2003, GHP has worked with providers across the United States to build small-home alternatives to traditional nursing homes. With private rooms and bathrooms, ample outdoor space, and a person-directed care philosophy, these homes of no more than 10 to 12 residents have redefined the standard for empowering and high-quality eldercare. “Healthia will improve health outcomes for the local community, support the hospital system, and reimagine aged care,” ACH Group CEO Frank Weits said. “The residential care home responds to a generation shift in expectations.” Healthia will serve 96 elders across eight homes in Elizabeth, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide. “Opening the first fully implemented Green House homes outside the U.S. is both a milestone for our movement and the next step toward bringing high-quality, empowering care to even more people around the world,” Ryan said. “ACH Group has been an incredible partner in this journey, and CFI thanks everyone at the organization for their vision and dedication to doing something different for older adults.” About the Center for Innovation The Center for Innovation is the parent organization of The Green House Project and Pioneer Network, two non-profit groups dedicated to building the next generation of high-quality, empowering services and supports for elders. Whether we’re helping providers build small-home alternatives to traditional communal care settings, changing the operational culture of existing communities, or providing workforce training, CFI is the catalyst for person-directed living and empowered cultures in the community of one’s choice. About ACH Group ACH Group is a non-profit organization that has been offering services to support older people live good lives since 1952. As well as accommodation options across Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula, ACH Group offers a range of health, wellbeing, respite and support services, help at home, and social experiences. ACH Group’s 1,900 specialist staff and hundreds of volunteers share the belief that older people should be valued and respected, connected to their communities, and in control of their lives. Media Contact Alex Spanko 516-587-2097 aspanko@thegreenhouseproject.org

  • Former Pioneer CEO, current CFI chief culture officer to depart in August Linthicum Heights, Md., July 19, 2023 – The Center for Innovation (CFI), the non-profit parent of The Green House Project (GHP) and Pioneer Network, today announces the departure of chief culture officer Penny Cook. Cook served as the CEO of Pioneer Network from 2018 until 2022, when the eldercare improvement organization entered into a formal alliance with The Green House Project under the CFI umbrella. GHP and Pioneer have spent decades working to change the culture and design of eldercare communities across the United States and the world – both by implementing person-directed care practices in existing long-term care settings and by helping organizations build small-home alternatives to traditional nursing homes. “Leading Pioneer Network has been the highlight of my career, and in the months leading up to the alliance last year, I was planning on taking a step back from the organization to focus on my next steps both professionally and personally,” Cook said. “But when our board made the decision to align with The Green House Project, I had the the desire and felt a responsibility to our network of incredible changemakers to stay on and ensure that Pioneer Network was in good hands for the future.” “More than a year later, I can say that the CFI team has given Pioneer Network a proud new home, and I look forward to watching and cheering on its progress in the years to come,” Cook continued. “Acknowledging that culture change is an ongoing journey – and not a destination – has always been a core value of our work, and I’m grateful to have overseen this exciting period in the Pioneer Network journey.” Cook will officially leave the organization in mid-August. “Penny has been an invaluable resource during this transitional period in the history of our organizations,” CFI CEO Susan Ryan said. “While we will miss her day-to-day guidance and advocacy for better eldercare services, her work over the last year has ensured that the Pioneer Network will continue to make a real impact in the lives of elders across the country and the world.” CFI board chair Michele Holleran offered her appreciation for Cook’s service during the Green House-Pioneer alliance process. “Penny’s stewardship over the last year has ensured that Pioneer Network will thrive under the CFI banner for many years to come,” Holleran said. “Along with the entire CFI board, I want to thank Penny for overseeing this transition, and for her years of service to the culture change movement.” Moving forward, CFI will harness the unique strengths of both organizations to offer both best-in-class cultural transformation services to the entire eldercare community, as well as continuing to serve as the worldwide leader in small-home care communities. “This alliance is powerful because it combines the grassroots movement built and sustained by Pioneer’s nationwide network of advocates and GHP’s 20 years of experience with turning small-home care principles into more than 80 thriving eldercare communities,” Ryan said. “With the Pioneer Network spirit as the fuel and GHP’s institutional knowledge as the engine, CFI will bring better care options to more elders than ever before.” Media Contact Alex Spanko 516-587-2097 aspanko@thegreenhouseproject.org

  •  Household Model International Consortium to promote, expand alternatives to institutions Leading eldercare providers from three continents with experience and passion for small domestic household models of residential care are joining together to advocate for their wider adoption. Australia’s HammondCare, the U.K.’s Belong, and The Green House Project in the U.S. have joined together as founding members of the Household Model International Consortium to utilize their shared experience, skills, data and voice to promote the quality-of-life benefits of small household living. Representatives from the three organizations today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form the consortium at the Australian High Commission, London. An objective arising from the MOU will be a shared research agenda, including utilizing each other’s respective relationships with universities to deepen knowledge on the household model and how it can be further developed and enhanced. HammondCare CEO Mike Baird said his organization, one of Australia’s leading health and aged care providers, had more than 25 years of experience with the cottage model, a form of small household model, to support people living with dementia. The recent Royal Commission into Aged Care, Quality, and Safety, a blueprint for reform of the Australian aged care sector, recommended a shift toward small household or small-scale congregate living. “Our experience is that the small household form of residential care provides reductions in hospital admissions, lower use of medications, and a higher quality of life for the residents,” Baird said. Belong Villages, which operates eight care communities for older people, was one of the early pioneers of the household model for people living with dementia in the U.K. CEO Martin Rix explained that in-depth research combined with the organization’s early pilots with different sized households had enabled it to evaluate alternative approaches and it was this experience that led to household living becoming the blueprint for the new Belong villages that they now run. “Our experience has really challenged traditional thinking around what is possible to achieve in terms of outcomes and quality of life for older people,” Rix said. “The feedback from the health care professionals we link with, as well as from families, is overwhelmingly positive, with the smaller household setting really proving conducive to the formation of strong relationships between both residents themselves and, in addition, residents and members of the care team,” he said. “This familiarity, in turn, provides a sense of security and wellbeing that enables residents to make the most of the wider creative, physical and social opportunities on offer in our care villages.” Susan Ryan, CEO of the Center for Innovation, the non-profit parent of The Green House Project, said the organization had strong data from establishing nearly 400 homes that are small in scale, self-contained, and self-sufficient in 32 U.S. states. “The COVID-19 pandemic showed the clear advantages of small-home alternatives to traditional eldercare settings, as well as the power of international collaboration,” Ryan said. “I’m delighted to join with our partners in eldercare transformation from around the world to share what we’ve learned and build the next generation of services and supports for elders everywhere.” As well as research, the consortium will establish areas of strategic focus, joint papers, and position statements. There will also be opportunities for staff exchanges and enhanced learning, as well as shared learning materials and packages. Media Contacts The Green House Project Alex Spanko 516-587-2097 aspanko@thegreenhouseproject.org HammondCare Kelvin Bissett +61 418 222 107 kbissett@hammond.com.au Belong Ltd. Maha Hamer 07890 415580 maha.hamer@belong.org.UK

  • Provider to operate first Green House community outside of the U.S. Linthicum, Md. and Elizabeth, South Australia, April 18, 2023 – The Center for Innovation (CFI) and ACH Group today announce that the Green House model of empowered eldercare will soon be implemented in Australia, marking the first formal expansion of the model outside of the United States. ACH Group, a provider based in South Australia, will implement the Green House model into its newest residential care home, Healthia, scheduled to open in Elizabeth in August 2023. “Introducing the Green House model of care outside of the U.S. is such a significant milestone for our organization, and we’re so pleased that ACH Group is the local operating partner that will make it happen,” CFI CEO Susan Ryan said. Since 2003, the Green House model has provided a vital alternative to traditional nursing homes and assisted living communities. With private rooms and bathrooms, ample outdoor space, and an elder-directed care philosophy, these small homes of no more than 10 to 12 elders have redefined the standard for empowering and high-quality eldercare. Operating partners across the U.S. have built and maintained nearly 400 Green House homes over the last 20 years. While several international organizations have adapted the Green House principles to their operations, Healthia marks the first community outside of the country to implement the model in its entirety. “Residents living at Healthia will feel an increased sense of control, have an improved quality of life, and a fulfilling and positive experience,” ACH Group CEO Frank Weits said. “There is an increasing urgency and growing expectation for change in Australia– driven by residents, customers, workers, and regulators alike – to move to a model of care where the priority is the older person’s preferences and staff skills are developed and nurtured. The Green House Project delivers this.” Leaders from CFI – the non-profit parent organization of both The Green House Project and Pioneer Network – will travel to Australia over the coming months to provide training and operational support ahead of the August opening. “ACH Group’s commitment to reimagining care services was clear from my very first conversations with leadership, and we can’t wait to partner with ACH Group,” Ryan said. “Together, we can create the empowering services and supports that older people in Australia, and everywhere else around the world, truly deserve.” About the Center for Innovation The Center for Innovation is the parent organization of The Green House Project and Pioneer Network, two non-profit groups dedicated to building the next generation of high-quality, empowering services and supports for elders. Whether we’re helping providers build small-home alternatives to traditional communal care settings, changing the operational culture of existing communities, or providing workforce training, CFI is the catalyst for person-directed living and empowered cultures in the community of one’s choice. About ACH Group ACH Group is a non-profit organization that has been offering services to support older people in living good lives since 1952. As well as accommodation options across Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula, ACH Group offers a range of health, wellbeing, respite and support services, help at home, and social experiences. ACH Group’s 1,900 specialist staff and hundreds of volunteers share the belief that older people should be valued and respected, connected to their communities, and in control of their lives. Media Contact Alex Spanko, Director of Communications aspanko@thegreenhouseproject.org 516-587-2097