New Research Finds Increased Engagement, Quality of Worklife and Maintain Quality of Care

Two evaluation studies funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation were released this summer.  The first study by Siobhan Sharkey, Sandra Hudak and Susan Horn is titled, “Analysis of Staff Workflow in Traditional Nursing Homes & THE GREEN HOUSE® Project Sites”.  The study compared 8 Green House homes with their legacy organization and a
                                  similar nursing home within their community.

The studies found that Green House homes demonstrated:

• Higher direct care time: 23-31 minutes more per resident per day in staff time spent on direct care activities in Green House homes.
• Increased engagement with elders: More than a four-fold increase in staff time spent engaging with elders (outside of direct care activities) in Green House homes.
• Less Stress: Direct care staff in Green House homes reported less job-related stress.
• Improved care outcome: Fewer in-house acquired pressure ulcers in Green House homes.

A study done by Dr. Barbara Bowers of the University of Wisconsin, Madison studied the relationships of Shahbazim (caregivers), Nurses and the models of care and communication. This is a qualitative study to answer questions posed by the nursing community regarding the integrity of a model where the Shahbazim report to the Guide versus the traditional charge nurse.

Some of these findings included:

• Comparable quality: Removal of formal nurse supervision of the Shahbazim did not compromise quality of care.
• Timely intervention: High level of direct care worker familiarity with elders led to very early identification of changes in condition, facilitating timely interventions.

These studies join the work of Rosalie Kane and Lois Cutler from the original Green House homes in Tupelo, MS in confirming the desirability and viability of this model as an alternative to traditional nursing home care.