ACH to implement GHP model at new SA residential care home

Healthia, ACH Group’s new residential care home, set to open in August 2023, will implement the US-founded Green House Project (GHP) model of care, which promotes the autonomy and individuality of residents and staff.

Owned and overseen by the US-based Center for Innovation, the GHP model has been successfully implemented in nearly 400 private and not-for-profit care homes in the United States.
Healthia comprises eight purpose-built single storey homes, located in a village setting and joined via interconnected walkways. The homes are designed to integrate with the natural streetscape of a typical suburban neighbourhood through their scale, domestic features, and materiality.

The facility has been built by SARAH Constructions, with Brown Falconer as the architect.

The culture shift

Each home features 12 individual bedrooms all with their own ensuite bathroom. Bedrooms also have direct access to outdoors and landscaped gardens, to promote greater independence and freedom of movement.

Informed by person-directed care principles, the new care model is said to maximise the independence of residents, empowers staff, and enhances the benefits of the highly regarded small household design that Healthia has adopted.

South Australian provider ACH Group’s CEO Frank Weits said the organisation was drawn to GHP because of the opportunity to accelerate the culture shift to person-directed care within its workforce at Healthia and the benefits to be experienced by residents and staff.

“We have recently implemented a new operating model to provide increased role clarity and accountability while standardising the workforce model in our care homes. Having implemented the new model, the next priority for us is to move workforce culture to person-directed care,” he said.

“There is an increasing urgency and growing expectation for change in the aged care sector — driven by residents, customers, the workforce and regulators alike — to move to a model of care where the priority is the older person’s preferences and staff skills are developed and nurtured. The Green House Project delivers this,” Weits said.

The small household model

Center for Innovation CEO Susan Ryan said, “Introducing the Green House Project model of care at Healthia — the first ever home outside of the United States to implement the model — is such a significant milestone for our organisation, and we’re so pleased that ACH Group is the local operating partner that will make it happen.”

Healthia has adopted the small household model, with homes each featuring a single long table to promote greater interaction and sense of belonging between residents and staff. The environment is small and domestic rather than large and institutional, Ryan said. 

The Central Building at the facility has a publicly accessible cafe and hair salon that residents will also use. It aims to create an ‘outing’ for residents that keeps it away from their homes and gives them choice to visit or not, just like people outside Healthia would experience. It also seeks to normalise the residential care environment by having visitors come and go more regularly.

Design principles

ACH Group General Manager of Property Ben Ward said, “Many design principles within the houses at Healthia have taken into consideration what would be seen in someone’s own home. For example, each home has its own entry door so residents feel secure, and visitors can be greeted into the home. We have also minimised institutional artefacts such as signage, nurse stations and medication trolleys. The homes also have domestic washers and dryers so if residents want to continue to do their own laundry, they can.

“There was a requirement for the houses to achieve high levels of natural light and natural ventilation, which are principles of good dementia design and promote sustainability. This has been achieved through the placement of large glass windows and doors featuring views and access to landscaped gardens. Via the interconnected walkways, residents can move around the gardens and enjoy the outdoors in a safe and secure environment.”

The University of South Australia will co-locate at the new facility with a general practice and student-led allied health clinic open to the public on a full-time basis on weekdays. In addition, students will undertake a placement in the residential care home.