The Green House Model
A Green House® is a place that focuses on life, and its heart is found in the relationships that flourish there,” Robert Jenkens, NCB Capital Impact
The Green House® Model totally transforms what we think of as nursing home care. It gives professional caregivers new tools for supporting the needs of older adults and disabled persons that empowers both the caregiver – or Shahbaz — and the care recipient. Even the language of the Green House is different. Residents are not patients; they are elders, an acknowledgement that older persons have wisdom they can share, and relationships between elders and the Shahbazim are based on reciprocity.
The Shahbazim who see to the day-to-day needs of the elders are universal workers, not specialists, an approach that allows them to get to know the elders and provide care in a highly personal and flexible way. The phrase “Green House” derives from a supportive environment where fragile plants are protected from the elements and are nurtured so that they can thrive and grow to their potential. The charrette design team is examining the potential for incorporating the Green House into a Lifelong Community.
