Small, household models of skilled nursing care are not new, but they have been largely overlooked until the COVID-19 pandemic, during which they fared far better than traditional nursing homes. At the same time, a growing body of research shows a multitude of quality advantages over traditional nursing homes.
Private rooms alone won’t remedy nursing home system’s shortcomings. “The Green House model is a lot more than just the building,” says Alex Spanko. “It’s about the culture, too.”
“The only question,” Cook said, “is whether they will take the harsh lessons of the pandemic to heart and implement empowering care models such as Green House — or choose to ignore the experiences of elders and decades of research and build the exact same types of traditional, outdated buildings that failed too many Canadians before, during and after COVID-19.”
"Analysts say the nursing-home model is outdated. Many nursing homes are 40 or 50 years old, looking much like hospitals: large, impersonal and with shared rooms. Research has shown that smaller nursing homes — like ones known as Green Houses — often provide better, more personal care."
“It’s important that we leverage what we learned … this could be a game changer, it could really provide that level of support and incentives to really help us achieve what we all want,” Susan Ryan, CEO for the Center for Innovation, told SNN.
The Center for Innovation, or CFI, the parent organization of the Green House Project and Pioneer Network, is reorganizing its leadership as it focuses on growth. Susan Ryan will serve as the Center for Innovation’s first CEO ... Ryan has led GHP as it grew to include more than 370 homes in 32 states."
"New HUD housing policy can align with and support calls for change in the nursing-home industry. Updating HUD’s existing public-private infrastructure with grants and loan terms targeted at specific innovations such as the small-home design, presents a logical place to originate much of the proposed reform that policy makers and consumers are advocating."
"Research demonstrated the relative advantage of Green House homes over traditional nursing homes. Technical assistance made the model less complex for potential adopters and less expensive because technical assistance staff worked with states to mitigate potentially costly regulatory hurdles and provide a process and model for the development of Green House homes."
"One way to attract and retain nursing home staff is to house them in nearby, affordable apartments, an idea used with success by at least several healthcare companies on the East Coast. The latest to create this employee benefit is Navigator Homes of New England. It is in development to bring Green House Project-inspired homes to 70 seniors with skilled nursing needs in Martha’s Vineyard."
“After years of gathering and studying data about their small-home model of long-term care, Green House leaders made a calculated move this week to give skilled nursing operators more reasons to adopt the innovative model.”