Green House Idea Grows on Seniors
Greenhouses in Tupelo, Miss., may sound awfully far away and more appropriate fodder for the Home & Garden section. But I’m referring to an appealing new housing idea for the frail elderly, not orchids or hydroponics.
Sprouted from the revolutionary ideas of Dr. William Thomas and the Eden Alternative, the Green House concept believes that elder care facilities should be homelike and “warm, smart and green.”
Spearheaded by United Methodist Senior Services of Mississippi, the first Green House community in the Unites States is blossoming in Traceway, Miss. The Traceway campus has 47 independent-living cottages, assisted living, and a skilled nursing facility. So far, the building site has been developed for the entire project and four Green Houses completed. Other Green House projects are planned for Lincoln, Neb., and Powers, Mich., but so far there is nothing planned in California.
In a diagram, Traceway looks like a small suburban community dotted with a cluster of attractive houses and pleasant landscaping. The interior of the houses is innovative. The kitchen is not hidden from the residents behind cold formidable steel doors, as in so many elder care facilities. Rather, the kitchen and dining area are combined into one large room, much like a kitchen and family room layout in modern homes. The kitchen counters are wheelchair-accessible so that a resident in a wheelchair can chat over the counter with a food preparer, or help out, just as at home. The Green Houses offer only 10 private bedrooms each. Each bedroom has a cozy—not institutional—feel, and each has a private bath. The Green House layout also includes a den, foyer and hearth.
The staffing concepts are creative as well. Staff members have been involved in planning from the beginning and work in self-managed teams. They are termed “Shahbazim,” or “universal workers,” and have a duty to “protect, sustain and nurture the residents.” Residents are also encouraged to participate in daily household activities as much as possible.
I find the Green House philosophy particularly appealing, because it reminds me of the French concept of the “Cantou.” As I reported a few years ago, the Cantous provide homelike atmospheres that encourage residents’ participation in daily household tasks.
Last month, 20 residents moved from a skilled nursing facility into the first two open Green Houses. One resident, normally known to be withdrawn and quiet, settled into the hearth area and exclaimed, “My, it is good to be home again after all this time away!”
To learn more about Green Houses or for information on upcoming conferences (“From Eden to Green House, Reinventing Long Term Care in the 21st Century”) in New York, contact project director Judith Rabig at greenhouseproject@citlink.net or visit www.thegreenhouseproject.org.