First Green House care model facility to open in Australia

A new aged care facility in Adelaide’s north is close to welcoming its first lot of aged care residents – offering improved, research-backed delivery of care to older Australians. 

A first of its kind in Australia, aged care provider ACH Group is behind the new facility which is in line with the American-founded Green House Project (GHP) model of care, which promotes smaller homes and the autonomy and individuality of residents and staff.

The facility will consist of eight single-storey and self-contained buildings constructed across 15,000 square meters of land, servicing 96 residents.

The eight buildings would each contain 12-bedroom houses with residents having their own room and a private ensuite, along with a range of communal areas outside.

34 staff are meant to be on site for the day shift, 24 staff in the afternoon and four for the overnight rotation.

The GHP model is aimed at maximising the independence of residents and empowering staff and enhances the benefits of the small household model of care and successfully implemented in nearly 400 private and Not-For-Profit care homes in the US.

ACH Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Frank Weits, said the GHP model because it will help establish strong person-directed care.

“GHP and person-directed care have strong synergies with ACH Group’s Good Lives Philosophy based on the delivery of 4Rs – right relationships, real experiences, reablement, and roles – for residents,” he said.

“Residents living at Healthia will feel an increased sense of control, have an improved quality of life, and a fulfilling and positive experience.

The Royal Commission found that smaller home-life residential facilities  promotes better quality of life for residents, particularly those with cognitive impairments.

Healthia has been designed around a village model with homely-looking spaces but is also strategically designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 and influenza as winter rolls back around for another year. 

During the height of the pandemic in 2020, older people and staff in Green House homes in the US reportedly fared better than other homes. 

Research conducted by GHP has since demonstrated that the Green House model is highly effective in preventing and mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on elders.

The new facility will be a part of the Healthia health precinct in Elizabeth South, which is due to accept residents in June.

Healthia is a partnership between ACH Group, the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, the University of South Australia and the City of Playford local council.