Driving around the St. Martin’s campus today you’ll notice lots of activity. Construction for “The Cottages at St. Martin’s” is underway. Several months of site-work must be completed prior to building the Cottages. These are exciting times as St. Martin’s charts a new course in the care of elders in need of skilled nursing care.
One question I am asked quite often is, “Who will move into the Cottages?” Our plan is to generally invite elders having; a) lived on campus the longest, and b) residing in the nursing home at the time construction is finished; to tell us if they are interested in moving into the Cottages or not. We will continue inviting elders until we reach a total of sixty. We will be working through this process during the summer next year.
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The Cottages at St. Martin's Project
It’s simply home...With an on-going commitment to the enhancement of quality of life for elders, St. Martin’s in the Pines is pursuing a unique and revolutionary care model for those requiring long-term skilled nursing. “The Cottages at St. Martin’s”, the first six residential-style nursing homes to be built in Alabama and part of a national movement known as THE GREEN HOUSE® Project have been in operation since late 2008. As a pioneer in the state, St. Martin’s serves as a beacon of hope for culture change in long-term care.
The GREEN HOUSE® model creates a small, intimate community for a group of 10 elders. A radical departure from traditional skilled nursing homes, The GREEN HOUSE® home alters size, interior design, staffing patterns, and methods of delivering skilled nursing services.
Its primary purpose is to serve as a place where elders can receive assistance and support with activities of daily living as well as clinical care, but without the assistance and care becoming the focus of their existence.
The physical transformation is only one element of the GREEN HOUSE® model. Staff responsibilities are dramatically different from those in a conventional nursing home. The traditional certified nursing assistant receives a new role of universal care worker called a “Shahbaz”. Each is given additional training, in ways to protect, sustain, and nurture the elders living in The Cottage and to take on a broader array of responsibilities, including facilitating meaningful activities, cooking, light housekeeping and laundry. Each house is also served by a clinical support team of nurses, medical directors, social workers, physical therapists, and others. These professionals are not stationed within the houses, but visit according to a schedule, much like a home-health model.
Privacy...Dignity...Autonomy...Home...Small...Cozy...Family...Nurturing
...Safe...Smart...GREEN
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