Three or more years ago when Terry first introduced us to THE GREEN HOUSE® Model , the thing I noticed right away was that they used funny words. It was like a cult that had it's own language. Now, having worked in health care for 18 plus years, I know we have lots of funny words. But they can always be found in the dictionary.....some of these could not. There began my skepticism. I secretly thought yeah, we may adopt (there I go using one of their words-adopt) some of this stuff but I can't see us walking around in Birmingham, Alabama saying words like eldertopia, convivium or shahbaz (plural is Shahbazim, pronounced shah-bah-zeem). And on top of that, I thought, who would want to be one.
This is where the transformation comes in. Terry had us reading books like "What are Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World", by William H. Thomas, M.D. We had conversations with early adopters, participated in conferences in San Francisco and later in Orlando and even invited Dr. Thomas to come to Birmingham to share his enthusiasm for his vision of where elder care should be. The more we were exposed to this new model of care, the better it sounded. Folks started talking and planning and dreaming and .......let me get back to the word Shahbaz.
I had a very basic understanding of what was going on and where St. Martin's was headed. Things like who the architects were and who the contractors were going to be and how many buildings we wanted to build and how much money we needed to raise. I was prepared to answer all the questions that I knew would be coming my way from my residents (ok, I said residents and I wanted to use it one last time) after the announcement was made that we were building the first GREEN HOUSE® in Alabama..... So one morning as if on cue, an elder rolls up to me and asks "What is a Shahbaz?" That was not on my prepared list of answers......(to be continued)
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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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