Green Houses are more “homelike” alternatives to nursing homes or large, multi-unit assisted-living facilities. Green Houses, which have been around since the mid-1990s and have spread to at least two dozen sites nationwide, are laid out with a central living/dining/activities area surrounded by 10 or 12 private bedrooms.
Deeper dive
Dedicated staff serve residents in need of chronic care at the assisted living/nursing home level 24/7. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which is funding expansion of this care model, “At the center of The Green House model are skilled nursing assistants called shahbazim who manage residents’ care, with support from nurses and therapists — a reversal of the traditional nursing home model.”
The Green House Project cited several advantages to this model, including:
- A real home environment.
- Respect for flexible routines, personal preferences.
- Nurtures a familial experience around a common dining table.
- Welcomes friends and family members.
- Encourages personal growth and enables elders to continue to pursue their interests and passions.
- Lowers cost – studies find this model saves $1,300 to $2300 in Medicare and Medicaid costs vs traditional nursing homes.
The Green House model was developed by Dr. Bill Thomas in 2001, as an alternative to the institutional quality of long-term care, the Green House model was developed by Dr. Bill Thomas in 2001. The first Green House homes opened in 2003 in Tupelo, Miss.
The Green House Project (GHP) hit a milestone in 2011 when the total number of Green House homes developed throughout the United States reached 100. In 2019, Green House 2.0, an initiative intended to broaden the reach and deepen the impact of the organization by expanding services beyond the creation and support of the traditional Green House nursing home model, was rolled out.
When the pandemic descended upon nursing homes in 2020, elders and staff in Green House homes fared significantly better. Research has since demonstrated that the Green House model is highly effective in preventing and mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on elders.