| Senator Judith G. Freedman (R-26)
today helped secure Senate passage of legislation allowing
for the creation of a so-called “Green Houses”,
or deinstitutionalized, nursing home pilot program.
“More than anything else, many senior citizens
fear the prospect of having to spend their final years
in an institution. Even the very best of traditional
nursing homes can seem too much like institutions. No
manner how hard the staff tries, these places simply
are not home. This legislation is an attempt to create
a program that provides needed care in a homey setting,”
said Senator Freedman.
The legislation, SB 559, an Act Concerning A Pilot
Program For Small House Nursing Homes, calls for the
creation of “small house” or ‘green
house” nursing homes that consist of one or more
units designed and modeled as private homes, with each
unit housing no more than 10 persons. These facilities,
to include private rooms and bathrooms, would provide
for an increased role for support staff in the care
of residents, would incorporate a philosophy of individualized
care, and would be licensed as nursing homes.
This legislation is now subject to further action
by the House of Representatives.
“I believe that these new, alternative, nursing
homes will be welcomed by senior citizens who can no
longer stay in their own homes. I am happy to support
this legislation,” said Senator Freedman.
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