Q&A: The Green House Project’s Susan Ryan

Categories: In The News, National Media Items

“Too often in eldercare, even well-meaning caregivers see people as the clinical diagnoses and labels we assign to them – dementia, fall risk, wanderer, behavioral problems. The Green House model challenges caregivers to go beyond those labels and always see the person behind them: the person who lived a full, rich life before requiring additional care and who deserves to keep living with that same richness amid the natural changes that come with aging.”

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  • “In May 2023, Susan presented at the ARIIA conference Facing The Future: Aged Care 2030 and Beyond #ariiaconference2023, in Adelaide, South Australia. She spoke with Re Aged Care about the Green House Project and its commencement in Australia.”

  • “Our Best Life approach comprehensively and holistically looks at who the person is and [asks] how do we really ensure each person is living his or her best life? It’s really about seeing the person,” Ms. Ryan explained.  “As it pertains to somebody living with dementia, how many times do we just focus on loss and decline and say they can’t do that anymore? We have labels and we see the label before we see the person. “I challenge you to see who that person is. We’re going to shift beliefs.”

  • “Founded in Rochester in 1997 by a group of forward thinkers, the Pioneer Network has since evolved through a partnership with The Green House Project (GHP) into the Center for Innovation. The new alliance focuses on supporting eldercare reform initiatives and educating and advising eldercare organizations that seek to initiate changes to the cultural, organizational, and physical structures of the traditional nursing home.”

  • “A hallmark of The Green House Project is the elimination of the institutional feel of traditional, long-hallway nursing facilities. Instead, care is provided in small groups, in family-style settings. Big changes include private accessible bathrooms for each room and secure medicine cabinets that eliminate the need for rolling nurses’ carts. The nurses have an office, rather than a station. And there’s even a fire pit outside for residents to enjoy with each other and their families.”