Green House Project Essay

Introduction to the Green House Project In the USA in 1986, the Institute of Medicine released an extremely critical report of the quality of care provided by the country’s nursing homes. The report found that while higher quality medical care was generally provided to their seniors, the quality of life of the residents was not taken into account, and American seniors generally hated the idea of having to enter a nursing home (Kane et al., 2007). Since the release of that statement, there has been a movement advocating for a change in nursing home philosophy, one that makes nursing homes feel more like home, promotes personalized care for residents, and trusts the judgments of caregiving staff. One approach was called the “Eden Alternative” which encouraged nursing homes to “flatten hierarchies, invest decision-making in residents and frontline staff, and normalize nursing home life” (Kane et al., 2007). Applying the philosophy of the Eden Alternative, the Green House Project was initiated in 2003 (Kane et al., 2007). The Green House Project provides a systematic model for nursing homes to be built using the approaches of the Eden Alternative. The project was developed by William Thomas, a physician, and Judith Rabig, a social gerontologist; together, they wanted to see nursing homes be built that “emphasize[d] autonomy, dignity, privacy, and …show more content…
The discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience – from the functions of the brain to the actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged” (“How does the APA”, 2014). Based on this definition, the discipline of psychology is an appropriate discipline to study the unique mental and emotional experiences, as well as behaviours, of actors in the Green House Project – from the elderly residents themselves, to the staff who work in the