How will green homes ever replace nursing homes?

EmeraldCoastRX · Jul 31, 2013

I would assume the alternative. I think there are many residents, currently in LTC, that would benefit from this type of facility. Obviously not folks who require skilled care, but the ones who only require minimal assistance with ADL's. There are residents who decline because they could be in an ALF, but they end up in a LTC for lack of money. Most ALF's that I have seen are an apartment type community. Big bucks! In LTC they're not really pushed to be independent and they become more dependent on the staff day after day. That, in turn, shortens their life span. I see people who are

downsouthlaff, LPN · Jul 31, 2013

Agree with you 100 percent if Medicare/Medicaid would reimburse a green home for people who need minor assistance with ADLs and need to be monitored because of confusion or falls, this would change the old traditional nursing "home" into the new modernized Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility, where most of the residents are all there for intense medical reason. Maybe this new push will finally break the old traditional nursing home into 2, with one being nursing and rehab and the other being greenhome for residents who need assured living. I think that that's a great thing. But let's be realistic there's no way that this is going to ever be able to replace a skilled institutional nursing facilty like there mission states, maybe it will put an end to unnecessary institutionalizing of fairly independent elderly adults though....

downsouthlaff, LPN · Jul 31, 2013

And I will also add that although there's a big push to get rid of central nurses stations and corridors and the hospital like feel of nursing homes, it's very hard to to do because medical care is what's being offered 24/7 that's why nurses are present 24/7 and not just aides like in ALF. It's not gonna feel like home. Lets be honest. It's really and truly the place that they receive medical care until they get healthy enough for discharge, or until they pass on. The residents know this too. No matter how much nursing homes try to sugar cost by putting up big chandeliers and fancy furniture they know that the place is not really nothing like home. But they adapt....

EmeraldCoastRX · Jul 31, 2013

Agreed. I understand that some facilities require business casual for nurses. Khaki pants and polo shirts. Yuck!

downsouthlaff, LPN · Jul 31, 2013

What kind of Nurse wants to dress like an Accountant. Lol and This green house to me sounds like a tactic to increase the work load on nursing aides by making them now take on the job of Housekeeping, Dietary, Laundry, Activities, Janitorial, etc. and this green house method also puts a major major dagger in the career foundation of the Licensed Practical Nurse. Little houses aren't gonna need alot of nurses. In fax the green home model only employs an oversight nurse that's available 8 hours a day. This is most likely gonna be an RN. This would hurt jobs of alot of people. But they still don't have an answer to how there gonna care for people who are in truly needed of nursing home care, like people with PEG tubes vents, trachs Etc. and I guess that's why 10 years later green homes are stil very rare. They didn't need another model to fix the problems with un necessary institutionalizing of elderly adults today, all they need to do is allow Medicaid and Medicare to fund 24 hour personal care aides at home or fund assisted living facilities. That's all it would take. People can not afford Home care or alf rates....

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Jul 31, 2013

The idea of Green Homes or Small Homes or whatever you call them is not new.

I worked in a large facility that tried to be a small home. It's all about resident centered care. Don't want to wake up at 7 for breakfast? OK...we have a breakfast buffet that goes from 7-10. Hate your restrictive diet? Don't worry....eat what you want as long as you know the risks. It's been going on for years and years.