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'It's your home'

Commercial-News - 4/7/2017

April 07--DANVILLE -- Russell Huffman got teary-eyed when he learned that he'd be moving to a new home.

Huffman, a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Army, had been living at Honor Neighborhood (Building 101-7) at the Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System for several years, so it was a thrill for him to move into a new building with a home-like atmosphere.

Huffman, formerly of Evansville, Ind., helped cut the ribbon to Honor House, a Green House Project, during a ceremony Thursday afternoon. That 10-resident house will open next week, followed by the nearby Valor House.

"It's your home," recreation therapist Jenna Butler told Huffman as they waited for the ceremony to start. Soon, she told him, he would be moving his belongings across the campus. Huffman nodded and said it was "nice."

With the ribbon-cutting, there now are four Green House Project homes at the VA. The first two homes, named Freedom and Liberty, were completed in December 2011 and January 2012, respectively.

The fifth and sixth homes are in the design phase. Eventually, Illiana hopes to have 10 homes with a total of 100 veterans receiving skilled care.

The Green House Project is a new approach to long-term care where nursing homes are replaced with small, home-like environments. Each veteran has a private bedroom and bathroom, as well as access to a shared living area, kitchen and dining room. Each house, about 7,500 square feet, can accommodate up to 10 veterans.

Honor House will provide short-term rehab care, while Valor will be for veterans with dementia.

Frank Brunacci, whose father lived in Liberty House, said when he first heard about the homes, he thought "that's nice." When he actually moved his father, Joe, into Liberty in January 2014, his "nice" turned into "wonderful."

Joe turned 100 at Liberty, and died in January 2016.

"His care was outstanding," Brunacci told the audience. "It was truly a home environment."

If Joe woke up at 2 a.m. and went into the kitchen for a sandwich and coffee, the Shahbaz (primary-care worker) would make sure he got it.

"The care is excellent, but the caring is even more superb," said Brunacci, CEO at Worksource. "They didn't just care for my father, they cared about my father."

He added, "I don't have enough 'thank yous' in my heart."

Jennifer Musall, a Green House guide (who oversees the day-to-day operations of the homes), gave an overview of the Green House Project at the VA, which started with an idea in 2006.

The VA Illiana Health Care System was the first facility in the Veterans Health Administration to offer inpatient veterans access to this style of living arrangements, and was the first agency in Illinois, as well.

"Illinois is blazing a trail for innovation that many people are watching," she said.

In 2013, the facility received the Under Secretary for Health's Award for Innovation in VA Community Living Centers for excellence in its use of the new model of care.

Most importantly, the Green House homes are slaying the dragon of institutionalism, Musall said, as the caregivers develop a relationship with the veterans and the residents have a warm place of comfort of safety.

The veterans are free from the limitations of an institutional schedule and live a comfortable daily life -- sleeping, eating and engaging in enrichment opportunities as they choose. Meals are prepared in the kitchen and served at a large, single dining table.

The "green" in the name means that "we support growth through natural lights, plants and outdoor activities," she said. Also, the veterans continue to grow in many ways, even as they grow older.

Stephanie Young, Illiana director, said she didn't know about the Green Home model when she arrived in December 2015, but was impressed when she took a tour.

"This is not a building -- it's going to be a home for our veterans. It takes many people to create something like this."

Young explained that the word Shahbaz is derived from a fabled bird in Persian mythology who guided people in need in difficult times.

Similarly, today's Shahbazim -- plural for Shahbaz -- will help guide the veterans in need. Each home will employ nine Shahbazim, who provide personal care for the vets while doing the routine household tasks.

These workers are certified nursing assistants who have advanced training and work as a self-managed work team. There also will be Clinical Support Team available to support the Shahbazim, and nurses will be available around the clock.

"We have an awesome staff that takes their duties very seriously," Young said.

She also thanked several groups and individuals that have helped veterans at the Green Homes.

FYI

Learn more at: www.thegreenhouseproject.org

The VA has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VADanville/

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(c)2017 the Commercial-News (Danville, Ill.)

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