Environments for Aging - Spring 2017 - 15

PERSPECTIVE

The Green House model:
3 elements to consider

ADAM MØRK

two-story facility a residential scale. Additionally, the
building volume was broken
down into smaller units that
are shaped to fit between the
nearby buildings while still
providing an optimal layout for
caretaking. "The fluidity of the
plan makes the building and
the flow more dynamic, compact, and human," he says.
"It's less institutional."
A varying composition of
wood and tomback, a brass
alloy with high copper content, gives the façade a warm
look. To ensure the setting still offers natural views within its
urban location, the design team incorporated small landscaped
courtyards inside semicircular cutouts around the perimeter of
the building as well as a rooftop deck with terrace, providing
palliative patients and families several places where they can
step outside. The use of curvilinear forms continues inside where
the central common areas on both floors wind around a private
inner courtyard. Seating areas with a variety of furniture, including couches, high-back chairs, and tables and chairs, provide
multiple settings for conversation and respite. "The heart of the
building is the community of the house where the users and
relatives have the chance to meet each other, join activities and
events, and get in contact with the staff," Gregersen says.
The hospice's 16 private rooms with adjacent bathrooms are
located on both floors and include a sleeping couch for a relative to
stay overnight, wireless internet access, a TV, and music system.
Gregersen says the Scandinavian materials palette of white walls
and flooring and warm wood accents creates a homey feeling
that's unlike other healthcare settings in the country. The aesthetic
also supports the overall goal of the project, which was creating
"a good place to die," Gregersen says. "This is a place you and
your family choose for a meaningful farewell, that gives relief for the
dying person and time for ending, and perhaps for starting new
relationships with other people you meet there. The impression
of materials, lights, sounds, and atmosphere are parameters with
enormous impact on the experience."-Anne DiNardo

Less than a year after breaking ground on one of the largest
construction projects in the Rochester, N.Y., area, the team
at Jewish Senior Life has made tremendous progress
toward making our campus transformation a reality. The
street view of the campus looks vastly different than it did
before, but it's not just the physical structures that are
changing.
Three modern three-story buildings with a total of nine
small homes are taking shape, and we're building these
new homes following the nationally accredited Green House
Project model of senior living. We selected this model
because its mission and ideals aligned well with our values
of working to ensure that our residents and families thrive in
an atmosphere of respect, compassion, and individuality.
We considered the following elements when planning our
new model of care:
* Environment-We knew we wanted the physical living
environment of long-term care to look and feel like a
residential home, rather than what many think of when
picturing a traditional nursing home. No more long hallways,
nurses' stations, and regimented dining schedules. In each
of our nine small homes, each resident will have their own
bedroom and bathroom, a shared kitchen, community
room, three-season porch, and access to a beautiful
outdoor garden space.
* Philosophy-At Jewish Senior Life, we strive to ensure our
community's older adults lead meaningful lives with choice
and dignity. It made sense for us to implement the Green
House Project's model, because everything from the design
of the homes to the staffing structure revolves around
bringing more power to the elders and their caregivers.
That creates an even better quality of life for residents and
greater job satisfaction for our staff.
* People-The Green House Project model flattens the
hierarchy of staffing in traditional nursing homes, so certified
nursing assistants are cross-trained and developed into a
"universal worker" role. These universal workers operate in
self-managed work teams and are responsible for personal
care, dining, housekeeping, and laundry. We'll be calling
these workers "Adir," which is Hebrew for majestic or strong
and reflects their noble role.
The campus transformation project is expected to be
completed by March 2019. For more, visit EFAmagazine.com/
trends/jewish-senior.-Mike King, president and CEO, Jewish
Senior Life

Spring 2017 * EFAmagazine.com

http://www.EFAmagazine.com/trends/jewish-senior http://www.EFAmagazine.com/trends/jewish-senior http://www.EFAmagazine.com

Environments for Aging - Spring 2017

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