11 Jan Rebooting the nursing home

A bold idea takes root: What if you built a house where seniors really enjoyed spending time?

On a rainy January day, Grace Williard, 86, was absorbed in a jigsaw puzzle in the living room. A fire glowed in the hearth, and three of her housemates dozed in comfy chairs. In the open kitchen, chicken was baking, and noodles and succotash simmered on the stove. The doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of family visitors.

Welcome to the Green House, a reimagined nursing home near Hershey, Pennsylvania. Williard and her nine elderly housemates are beneficiaries of a growing movement to transform nursing homes from medicalized institutions to places that feel much more like home.

Read full article, here.