STAFF REPORT

SEWARD — Representatives of the Kodiak Island Borough and Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center heard a presentation from Dr. Bill Thomas on the Green House-like new care center being planned for Kodiak. Earlier this week the group toured Providence Seward Mountain Haven in order to see how the model works and how it can be adapted to meet the needs of a small Alaska community.

Seward Mountain Haven is the first Green House in Alaska.

Thomas, now internationally recognized as an authority on the transformation of elder care, has greatly impacted the lives of elders through his concept of Green House homes, which are neighborhood-style, resident-centered facilities that

offer long-term care.

Like the project being planned for Kodiak, Seward’s new facility features spacious but comfy residential structures, family-style dining (with food prepared in an on-site kitchen instead of a cafeteria), private bedrooms, private bathrooms, a central living room and outdoor space. The model alleviates isolation and fosters elders’ connections with their caregivers, communities and families.

Residents in Green House homes reportedly experience less depression, better clinical results, more interaction with their communities, and a greater proficiency with activities of daily living than residents in institutional nursing homes.