Called Green Houses, these new programs are what they sound like—smaller homes in which older residents live, usually eight to twelve elders per house. Green Houses are organized to deliver individualized care, meaningful relationships, and better direct care jobs through a self-managed team of direct care staff working in cross-trained roles. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is interested in Green Houses and has made a grant of $699,000 to Harvard Medical School to support David Grabowski, PhD, who is analyzing the cost effectiveness of Green Houses relative to traditional nursing homes. Grabowski is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Care Policy. “The Foundation’s support is incredibly important,” says Grabowski. “It’s a huge benefit to have a funder take an interest in the research of nursing home care, particularly innovative models such as the Green House project.”

“The Foundation’s support is incredibly important,” says Grabowski. “It’s a huge benefit to have a funder take an interest in the research of nursing home care, particularly innovative models such as the Green House project.”