Celebrating its tenth anniversary in February of last year, the center named after the late Chelsea philanthropist Leonard Florence was widely praised as “innovative” and “revolutionary.” The designations were due to its basic existence. It’s unlike any other nursing home.
AARP Michigan state director Paula Cunningham hosts practitioners and experts detailing housing options for older adults to help them maintain their quality of life. One of these options includes a “Green House."
"The Green House model costs no more to the consumer than traditional facilities and offers a philosophy of care that emphasizes quality of life, emotional well-being, and elder choice. That has led to everything from better clinical outcomes to higher levels of family and elder satisfaction and lower depression rates among elders."
The word “facility” was outlawed when talking about the Green House Project. The word “home” evolved to mean “facility” in the past, but we’re taking it back and embracing the real meaning. It’s never going to be exactly like a person’s very own home, but the concept of care revolves around each individual and their preferences and their needs, their lifestyle, their skills and abilities, their memories.
“What we’re building is a Green House Project model; it’s a small-hearth home model, so for example if there’s a resident whose family wants to come and bake cookies, they can do that in the common kitchen. The whole effort is to make it feel like home and not a facility."
“This is a model that has more or less revolutionized care for seniors,” said Mustard Seed Project board chair Sara Thompson, a retired family-care physician. “It gives seniors a much more home-like atmosphere.”
Join Green House Project founder Dr. Bill Thomas, Green House adopter Matt Trimble of Saint Elizabeth Community, and Navigator Elder Homes of New England CEO Renee Lohman for a discussion about Navigator's new Green House-inspired development on Martha's Vineyard, as well as the overall future of elder-directed care.
"Once fully funded and all regulatory boxes checked, elders needing nursing support or rehabilitation will have the option of communal living with private bedrooms and baths, shared living and dining space, a country kitchen, and a sense of independence. In other words, a place that provides licensed, skilled nursing, but contained in a setting that feels and looks more like home."
"AARP Michigan advocacy manager Lisa Dedden Cooper added AARP is calling on Michigan to use some of its funds from the American Rescue Plan to invest in alternative long-term care delivery models."
"According to preliminary project plans, the hospital, in partnership with Navigator Elder Homes of New England, wants to build an approximately 70-bed skilled nursing facility using the Green House elder home model.