What is the Green House Project for Seniors?
If your parents can no longer live safely at home or in assisted living, but they don’t want to move to a nursing home, you may wish there were a happy medium where they could enjoy privacy and a homelike atmosphere with round-the-clock care. If there’s a Green House Project nearby, you may be in luck. What is the Green House Project? It’s an innovative way to deliver skilled nursing care in a group home setting, and researchers say it has positive health and social effects for residents.
What’s different about Green House Project homes?
Unlike large nursing homes, each Green House has room for no more than 12 residents. According to the Green House Project site, each resident has a private bedroom and bathroom, while living rooms, the kitchen and dining area, and outdoor spaces are shared. This helps balance residents’ need for privacy with the need for community. Meals are prepared and served family style, although residents can eat on their own schedule if they prefer. Friends and family are welcome to visit, and the staff of CNAs is trained to manage the home while delivering care and meeting licensing requirements.
When did the Green House Project begin?
Geriatrician Bill Thomas co-founded the project in 2003. He told the New York Times that his work in a nursing home inspired him to find a way to keep residents socially engaged and interested in their surroundings. As of December 2016, there are 200 Green House homes in 30 states, with more in development.
What are the benefits of Green House living?
Green House residents get up to four times more interpersonal contact with their caregivers and housemates than traditional nursing home residents, according to the Green House Project. The nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which issues grants to Green House developments, says residents are “happier and healthier” than in typical nursing homes. Staff members report higher job satisfaction, and there’s less staff turnover, according to The Atlantic. Green House residents are 7% less likely than traditional nursing home residents to be hospitalized in a given year, per one study.
Do Green House communities accept Medicaid?
Yes. Green House homes accept Medicaid and other types of payment and strives to deliver services “for about the same cost as living in a traditional nursing home.” Pricing information is available for some Green House homes in SeniorAdvisor.com reviews.
Where can I find a Green House?
Start your search on the Green House Project Find a Home page to see what’s available near your parents or near you. You can also read resident and family reviews and pricing information for some Green House homes on SeniorAdvisor.com, such as:
LifeStream Complete Senior Living in North Phoenix
St. John’s Home in Rochester, NY
The Green House Residences in Jacksonville, FL
If there’s not a Green House home near your family, you have other options and resources to help you find the best environment for your parents. Learn more about your family’s nursing home and Alzheimer’s care options at SeniorAdvisor.com. You can find checklists to download and print for visiting prospective dementia-care communities and nursing homes.
Casey Kelly-Barton
Casey Kelly-Barton is an Austin-based freelance writer whose childhood was made awesome by her grandmothers, great-grandmother, great-aunts and -uncles, and their friends.
