The mission of Green House® Living for Sheridan is to lead the transformation of long-term care in Wyoming to the Green House model, where the focus is on elders continuing their life-journey with dignity and respect!

History and Vision

• In the 1960s the federal government funded a huge building program to build nursing homes across America using the medical model and designed much like hospitals. Bureaucracies and regulations grew with the main focus on the safety of residents…they became places where life was characterized by loneliness, helplessness and boredom… a place to die.
• Dr. Bill Thomas, a geriatrician dedicated to changing the culture of nursing homes in America, is now teaming up with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to begin to replace nursing homes in all 50 states with clusters of small, cozy houses, each sheltering 8-12 residents in private rooms, with private bathrooms and an open kitchen. In other words, a place like home. These homes are called Green House homes… places where people continue to live and grow.
• The community of Sheridan is now committed to developing a Green House project that will initially include four homes with 12 elders living in each home. A small self-managed staff will provide personal care and meals, joining the elders at the dining table. Nurses and other professionals will provide clinical care when needed. Family, friends, pets, and plants will be a part of daily living, as they would expect in their own homes. The vision is to replicate the model developed in Sheridan in every Wyoming community.
• Green House homes are licensed nursing homes, accepting private payments, private insurance, as well as Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements. The cost is the same, or in some cases, somewhat less than in a traditional nursing home.

Need for this Project

• Wyoming’s population is aging fast as baby-boomers reach retirement. Those aged 65 and over in Wyoming will reach over 81,000 by 2014, compared with the 2006 level of 61,000. Sheridan’s elder population comprises 16.9% of the community’s population, compared with the national average of 12.4%.
• An estimated 69% of people turning 65 will need some form of long-term care assistance before they die, according to the National Health Care Reform Report (November 2008). The report points out that any potential solution should provide a multitude of options including home and community-based care programs, family caregiver support, as well as creating new models of institutional care, such as the Green House model.

Successes and Current Situation

The Wyoming State Legislature and the Governor approved Long Term Care Choices legislation in 2007. Sheridan was one of three communities that received a grant and pilot status to investigate new ways to care for elders. Sheridan has established a not-for-profit corporation with a Board of Directors, volunteer task force, a services contract with the national Green House project, and pilot program status with the Wyoming Department of Health.

Finance Plan

Finance Breakdown

The total cost of the project is $7.6 million. This will fund four Green House homes and a small administration building. The plan to raise these funds and the status to

date is as follows:

• Approval has been received from the State Land and Investment Board for a pledge in the amount of $891,217 for infrastructure. This grant is contingent on procuring all funding by March 31, 2010.
• Land has been donated and more than $2 million has been donated or pledged. A passionate group of community leaders are committed to raising the remaining $960,000 needed through in-kind and cash donations and pledges.
• The remainder of the capital cost will be paid through long-term financing. Applications are being made through Lancaster Pollard Investment Bank.  Operating cash flow will retire the debt and fund operations.

Future—All Eyes on Sheridan

We plan to begin construction on the facility in 2010 and begin operations in 2011. The Green House Living for Sheridan project will serve as a flagship model for the state of Wyoming and the nation.

The commitment of our volunteers and their determination even in a troubled economy is testament to the need for this project. Our elders deserve better options. We are determined to transform the environment for Wyoming’s elders beginning here in Sheridan. It’s the right thing to do!

The Project:

The Green House, a home for elders where the rhythm of life continues…

Floor Plan

Street View