Green House (nursing home)

The Green House nursing home model is an innovativeFact|date=April 2008 form of long term care for the elderly. It has been developed in responseFact|date=April 2008 to the perception that elders in conventional "medical model" nursing homes are prone to develop feelings of loneliness, boredom and helplessness. Residents of conventional nursing homes oftenFact|date=April 2008 have a quality of life primarily focused on physical health issues; there is insufficient attention to developing a culture and physical environment that fosters emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth.

Green Houses de-institutionalize care and instead use small ten bed group homes for elders. Elders are given private rooms and a great deal of choice in their activities. Instead of the nursing station as a center of conventional nursing home unit, there is a kitchen, a living room and a fireplace. Green Houses make abundantFact|date=April 2008 use of plants and animals. Children are often invited to participate in activities. There is evidenceFact|date=April 2008 that these homes significantly increase resident satisfaction, reduce the need for restraints and psychiatric medications. The concept was firstFact|date=April 2008 proposed by William H. Thomas, M.D. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is granting a total of $10 million for seed funds to support the development of 50 such facilities in the United States. Generally the development cost is greaterFact|date=April 2008 than a conventional nursing home, while ongoing operating costs are about the same.Fact|date=April 2008

References

*cite book
last = Thomas
first = William H.
authorlink =
coauthors =
editor =
others =
title = Life worth living : how someone you love can still enjoy life in a nursing home : the Eden alternative in action
origdate =
origyear =
origmonth =
url = http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=DPvlvcUMJfYC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=William+Thomas+nursing&ots=SsAkuyTEFH&sig=CLAuQatBIR75NMNY7G4MsQDzYl8#PPR12,M1
format =
accessdate =
accessyear =
accessmonth =
edition =
series =
date =
year = 1996
month =
publisher = VanderWyk & Burnham
location = Acton, MA
language =
isbn =0964108968
oclc =
doi =
id =
pages = xiv, 208 p., [8] leaves of plates : ill. (some col.) ; 23 cm
chapter =
chapterurl =
quote =
ref =
* [http://www.cga.ct.gov/2005/rpt/2005-R-0618.htm Office of Legislative Research, Connecticut General Assembly. September 26, 2005, 2005-R-0618. "Nursing Home 'Green Houses'", by Helga Niesz, Principal Analyst]
* [http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2006/03/06/focus3.html Nashville Business Journal, Friday, March 3, 2006, "Examining the Green House Project senior living concept" by Carla Fenswick & Lillian Gilmer]
* [http://www.providence.org/alaska/press/seward.htm Providence Health and Services - Providence Seward] Discusses a long-term care facility "based on the 'Greenhouse' model, which provides a more homelike atmosphere for residents."
* [http://www.edenalt.org/ William Thomas MD's Eden Alternative Organization]
* [http://www.michigan.gov/miseniors/0,1607,7-234-43293-176469--,00.html Michigan Office of Services to the Aging - Culture Change in Long Term Care]
* [http://www.pioneernetwork.net/news-and-events/ An organization for culture change in nursing homes]
* [http://www.leonardflorencecenter.org/index.html Greenhouse program in Massachusetts]
* [http://elderweb.com/home/node/3052 Results from a study of a greenhouse program]
* [http://www.cms.hhs.gov/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/downloads/SCLetter07-07.pdf Federal Medicare Center questions and answers regarding culture change facilities]
* [http://www.ncbcapitalimpact.org/default.aspx?id=146 Robert Wood Johnson Green House Replication project]