Households or Houses — Connected or Disconnected — Its about moving Elders Home

Presented by: Jude Rabig and Steve Shields

Small house is the generic name for a deinstitutionalized nursing home. Small house achieves deinstitutionalization by reframing the philosophical view of the person, changing the architecture, and reengineering the design of the organization. Small house programs have been implemented, thus far, in a variety of ways. Tightly defined registered trademarked models, loosely defined consultant led implementations which accommodate individual organization choices, and internally envisioned and self implemented versions all exist. While each organization has configured their implementation in a unique manner there are a set of characteristics that define an implementation as a small house they include: the creation of a small intentional community (8-12 elders), empowered work teams of staff who are universal workers, and provide care which is based on responsive knowing. The goal of the small house is to provide the elder with an opportunity to experience individualized normalization despite frailty.

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the elements of at-homeness that the model intends to incorporate.
  
  
• Identify architecture elements of the small house environment which support functional competence.
  
  
• List the benefits of small size.

About the Speakers:

		Jude Rabig, RN, PhD Jude is the Executive Director of the National Alliance of Small Houses and Principal and CEO of Rabig Consulting. Her career as a gerontologist and nurse has included leadership and teaching positions. She spent 5 years as the Executive Director of the National Green House® Project. She has guided over 30 long term care organizations through implementation of traditional small houses and has worked with implementing the small house principles and elements into traditional buildings.
She has collaborated on financial feasibility analysis, advised architectural development, configured operating plans and developed and delivered training for all levels of staff. She has written and presented nationally on the small house model. She is an Atlantic Philanthropies, John Hartford Foundation Practice Change Fellow, a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, and has a certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from Stanford University.
		Steve Sheilds President/CEO of Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community Principal of Meadowlark Household Services, LLC