A Nursing Home that Patients and Their Families Actually Like
As a nursing home abuse lawyer, I'm often asked about how to select a nursing home for a family member. While I can not recommend specific nursing homes, there is a new trend of smaller and more "home-like" nursing homes that is worth considering. They call these homes "green houses."
Here is a link to an interesting New York Times article on "green houses." A Nursing Home Shrinks Until it Feels Like a Home.
Unlike traditional nursing homes, green houses typically have about ten residents with two CNA's to care for the residents. Most nursing homes put residents on strict schedules of meal times, bath times, bed times, etc. The staff are also compartmentalized (treatment nurse, bathing nurse, feeding nurses, etc.). In the "green house" model, the CNAs do everything so they get a better feel for the resident's preferences and can better accommodate their needs. The comments to the New York Times articles suggest that at least some residents do not even feel like they are in a nursing home.
I have not seen any studies as to whether green houses have better outcomes for the patients. Specifically, it is probably too early to tell whether they have fewer falls, infections, and pressure sores, but this a concept worth considering.
If you have experience with nursing home "green houses," please share your comments on our blog or Facebook page.
