Individual Choice and Individualized Care

Poydras Home: Louisiana's first Green House® Project community

Poydras Home is synonymous with the best service and care, and we owe much of that success to our dedication to continually learning and improving our practices to best serve our residents. We are proud to elevate that tradition of care with The Green House® Project model. With the completion of the Poydras Home Reimagined expansion in 2023, we are Louisiana’s first community to offer this care approach. The Green House Project model represents the highest quality of life for residents, focusing on the fundamental principle that each resident should be the central decision maker in his or her daily life.

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One of the many benefits of this evolution is the smaller number of residents living within each home. Additionally, each home has a team of dedicated Care Partners who know every senior’s health needs and preferences and are highly trained to assist with all manner of tasks, helping to make each day meaningful and bright.

These new homes feature open floor plans with spacious living rooms, comfortable seating and fireplaces, dining rooms and state-of-the-art kitchens where residents can participate in meal preparation, private bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, and balconies and patios with beautiful garden views.

The Green House Project’s close-knit, smaller setups within the larger community have resulted in less COVID exposure and infection in facilities across the nation. Though we had already chosen to implement this approach, data further confirmed that it is by far the best model operating today. We embrace the opportunity to add a new layer of safety for our residents as we continue to prioritize their health and happiness above all else. Read about The Green House Project’s success in limiting COVID within their homes here and explore research conducted by the University of North Carolina published by the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine here.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to experience The Green House® Project Model of Care?

What sets the Green House Model approach apart?

• Unlike traditional nursing facilities, our model offers a more nurturing and familial setting. Our unique approach provides our elders with the opportunity to age with dignity and live the best lives possible. It begins with our homelike building design, with private rooms and large communal spaces, and continues to the person-directed, relationship-rich living and the novel organizational structure that places elders in the center. This model improves quality of life, particularly regarding privacy, dignity, autonomy, relationships, and overall well-being.

What does Meaningful Life look like?

• Meaningful Life is not just another word for activities in the Green House homes. Our model is centered on person-directed, relationship-rich living. We strive to create an environment in which individual needs are met because each person is deeply known and valued as creative and resourceful. Our Care Team honors the unique flow and daily rhythm of each elder within their home. We emphasize the importance of preserving the dignity and independence of our elders, empowering them to make choices about their day and maintain a sense of autonomy. This, in turn, fosters a life filled with purpose, respect, and fulfillment.

Can my loved one participate in activities held outside of their home?

• In addition to the meaningful interactions that occur in each home, our dedicated Life Enrichment professionals schedule and coordinate daily activities throughout the community that all of our elders are invited to participate in.

 How are residents living with dementia integrated into the houses? 

• We strive to promote quality care and meaningful, purposeful living in a homelike setting for all of our elders, including elders living with dementia. Our employees are trained in best practices in dementia care following the Louisiana Department of Health standards, the Green House Best Life Practices, as well as I’m Still Here Montessori Principles to enable positive interactions and foster trusting relationships between elders and Care Partners. 

 What are meals like in Greenhouse Homes? 

• Meals within each Green House home are freshly prepared on site within the home by trained team members with alternatives available to allow for individual preferences. Convivium around a family-style dining table and our island space gives elders and staff the opportunity to engage in conversation and socialization during preparation and meals. Our Vice President of Hospitality Services and Executive Chef partnered with our Licensed Dietician consult with our elders and consider their personal preferences, as well as dietary and nutritional needs, when planning seasonal menus. 

 Who Cares for my loved one? 

• An interdisciplinary care team, made up of Care Partners, Guides, Nurses and clinical support staff meet regularly to discuss elder’s goals, needs and treatment plans.
• Our Care Partners work as a self-managed work team to provide the day-to-day care for our elders. They are trained in their area of expertise as well as our philosophy of care, communications skills, person-directed care and more. Our Care Partners are dedicated to providing individualized, empathetic care that goes beyond just meeting physical needs. They build meaningful relationships with elders, fostering a strong sense of trust and companionship that contributes to the overall well-being of each individual.
• The Guide is responsible for overseeing the operations and quality of service within the home. They act as coaches, mentors, and supervisors to the Care Partners and handle all non-clinical concerns.
• The Nurse is responsible for overseeing all clinical concerns. They assess and address the complex needs of the elders while enhancing each elder’s quality of life. While quality of care is critical, prioritizing quality of life helps guide all care and treatment decisions.
• These team members are not alone. Each house is supported by the clinical support team, which includes the Dietician, Social Worker, Director of Nursing, Director of Environmental Services (Housekeeping), Vice President of Hospitality Services and Executive Chef, Director of Life Enrichment, Physical Therapist, and more.  

How does the care team collaborate within each house?

• The team approach to individualized care ensures that elders receive comprehensive support across physical, emotional, and social aspects of their well-being. Clinical support team members meet with the household team for Quarterly Care Plans, or as needed, to discuss care goals or changes that the elders are experiencing.

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