Nationwide, Covid cases in Green House communities and other small-house nursing homes have been less than 50 percent of the cases in other nursing homes. Deaths have been less than 30 percent of deaths in the larger, institutional facilities.
Why is that? Physical scale. As a Green House Project video explains, the small physical make-up of a Green House is why contagious diseases are less prevalent. Consistent staffing means that there is less opportunity for a disease to be introduced. Resident populations are smaller per household to (12 maximum!), so any sickness can be easily isolated. Fewer people are coming and going. So there is simply less chance of contact with infected people. And a Green House has private rooms and more open common space.
Now, Green Houses also provide an intangible benefit during tough times such as viral pandemics: Social interaction. Staff members are by definition more like family members who interact with residents. Social interaction, so vital to human mental/emotional health, is at the core of the entire Green House model.
Check out the video. It does a great job adding personal experience and context to the above words.
“Everything that we’ve seen and heard shows how empowering this model is. It will give ownership of my job to me, like being at your own home. I’m not surprised that Green Houses around the nation have lower incidences of Covid cases and serious illness.”
-- Sharon Momaney, Vernon Green Licensed Nursing Aide (LNA)