Keeping violent behavior in check.

PURPOSE: We present the concept of the Green House, articulated by William Thomas as a radically changed, "deinstitutionalized" nursing home well before its first implementation, and we describe and discuss implications from the first Green Houses in Tupelo, Mississippi. DESIGN AND METHODS: Green Houses are small, self-contained houses for 10 or fewer elders, each with private rooms and full bathrooms and sharing family-style communal space, including hearth, dining area, and full kitchen. Line staff at the level of certified nursing assistants, called Shahbazim, are "universal workers," who cook meals, do laundry, provide personal care, assist with habilitation, and promote the elders' quality of life. Nurses, doctors, and other professionals comprise a visiting clinical support team for the residents and Shahbazim. Multiple Green Houses comprise a nursing home, meeting all nursing facility regulations and working within state-reimbursement levels. In 2003, four Green Houses were built on the campus of a retirement community; in June of that year, 40 residents relocated from the 140-bed nursing home to the Green Houses, including 20 residents previously living in the locked dementia unit. RESULTS: Experiences to date are positive for residents, family, and staff. The sponsor is converting the entire facility to Green Houses, and other providers around the country plan to implement Green House variants. IMPLICATIONS: Because nursing home stock is aging, many physical plants are or soon will be slated for major rebuilding, thereby providing sponsors with an opportunity to consider Green Houses. Early experience suggests that Green Houses are feasible and that outcomes are likely to be positive, and it also suggests that there are some potential issues to overcome in such a dramatic reengineering of nursing homes.

Assisted Living Facilities↗

PubMed2006

Linking resident satisfaction to staff perceptions of the work environment in assisted living: A multilevel analysis.

PURPOSE: This study examines the relationship between resident satisfaction and staff perceptions of the work environment in assisted living. Staff perceptions were assessed at the facility level, using aggregate measures of staff job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and views of organizational culture. DESIGN AND METHODS: The sample included 335 residents and 298 staff members in 43 assisted living facilities. Data were collected by means of self-administered questionnaires. Two-level hierarchical linear models were used to test the hypotheses. With resident age, gender, and education controlled for, the relationships between resident satisfaction (Level 1 variable) and staff perceptions of the work environment (Level 2 variables) were assessed. RESULTS: Greater resident satisfaction in the facility was associated with higher staff job satisfaction and more positive staff views of organizational culture (e.g., greater teamwork and participation in the decision making). From resident characteristics, only education was significantly related to satisfaction. More educated residents were less satisfied with assisted living. IMPLICATIONS: These findings suggest that a good quality of work environment for the staff contributes to a better quality of care for the residents. More research is needed to examine the causal nature of this relationship.

Assisted Living Facilities↗