The Green House is a group home for elders built to a residential scale that situates necessary clinical care within a habilitative, social model in which primacy is given to the elder's quality of life. The Green House Project was developed by and has drawn its philosophical foundation from the work of William Thomas, MD.

The model redesigns how care is delivered to elders. The Green House meets typical regulatory requirements for adult homes, skilled nursing, and assisted living. The goal of the model is to provide the frail elder with an environment that promotes autonomy, dignity, privacy and choice.

This model of care includes changes in:

Facility size and design
Interior design
Staffing patterns
Job descriptions
Patterns of clinical care delivery

The Green House is:

A warm, sacred place, filled with meaning to the elders living in the home
Where elderhood and those who assist elders are honored and respected
Full of life, not death. Full of celebration, ceremony, tradition and ritual
Where the decisions are made by the elders, or as close to the elders as possible
Welcoming to families, children and community members, who come to the Home to participate in the growth of those who live and work here.

Green House Goals

The goal of the Green House and its participants is to enhance elder's quality of life by:

Providing privacy

Recognizing and valuing individuality

Honoring autonomy and personal choice

Fostering spiritual well-being

Creating a sense of safety, security, and order

Facilitating physical comfort

Fostering enjoyment

Providing meaningful activities

Offering opportunities for reciprocal relationships

Promoting functional competence

Conveying the importance of an individuals dignity

Improving job satisfaction for staff

Providing safe and effective clinical care to meet individual needs