The Green House Project Honors Women Leaders on its Elevate Eldercare Podcast

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

Former Pioneer board members to bring national, international perspective LINTHICUM, Md., January 19, 2023 – The Center for Innovation, Inc. (CFI) today announces the addition of Jessica Luh Kim and Thomas Gilmartin to the non-profit’s board of directors as the integration of The Green House Project and Pioneer Network teams continues. Kim and Gilmartin had previously served as executive members of Pioneer Network’s board, holding the respective roles of secretary and treasurer. “CFI is the new hub for changemakers and innovators, and we’re both honored and excited for Jessica and Tom to bring their unique experience, expertise, and perspective to our work in the years ahead,” CFI board chair Michele Holleran said. “Pioneer’s legacy of infusing person-directed care practices into all types of communal care settings – particularly through building grassroots coalitions of elders, caregivers, and those who care about them – is a cornerstone of CFI’s mission. Jessica and Tom are vital custodians and champions of that legacy.” Kim currently works as an independent consultant to senior living providers in Canada and the United States, drawing on her extensive experience in the field with the Ontario Retirement Communities Association, Schlegel Villages, and the Murray Alzheimer Research and Education Program at the University of Waterloo. “I’m excited to serve on the CFI board and support the coming together of two amazing organizations,” Kim said. “I look forward to what the future holds and grateful to be part of this new beginning.” Gilmartin is the chief financial officer for National Health Care Associates, Inc., an organization focused on providing short-term rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and post-acute care in six states within the Northeast. He has spent the majority of his career in the senior care sector, including senior housing and home- and community-based services (HCBS). “I am grateful for this tremendous opportunity to work collaboratively with other exceptional leaders from our industry as CFI advocates for systemic change,” Gilmartin said. “I look forward to working with like-minded leaders and organizations as they migrate from an institutional model of care to a more meaningful and rewarding home-based model of care.” The Green House Project and Pioneer Network formally combined under the CFI banner in 2022. “Together we will go farther than we ever could have separately, and the addition of Jessica and Tom to our board is proof of how this combination makes us stronger,” CFI CEO Susan Ryan said. “They bring years of experience in both the theory and practice of elder-directed care to the CFI board, and I’m eager to call on their counsel and vision for the work ahead of us.” About The Center for Innovation To learn more about the Green House-Pioneer alliance under CFI, visit https://thegreenhouseproject.org/pioneer-alliance/. Media Contact Alex Spanko, Director of Communications aspanko@thegreenhouseproject.org 516-587-2097