County's first 'Green House' nursing home planned for Union

April 16--The first "Green House Project" nursing home is coming to Lawrence County.

But this green house will nurture people, not plants.

The idea of this relatively new concept in nursing home operation is to help elderly people thrive by providing a more homelike atmosphere than traditional institutions. The facility, planned for Route 224 at Lawrence Crossing in Union Township, will be the third Green House nursing home in Pennsylvania.

The 10-year-old philosophy seeks establishment of nursing homes which "support meaningful life for elders," that have an "empowered staff" and provide "a real home," according to the Green House website. It lists two other Green House nursing homes in Pennsylvania including one in Cranberry Township operated by Lutheran SeniorLife, which is developing the local project, and one in Palmyra, Pa.

At a special meeting Wednesday, the Union Township supervisors unanimously approved a conditional use permit for the facility requested by VieCare for Lutheran SeniorLife, which already operates LIFE Lawrence County at the planned nursing home site.

Lutheran SeniorLife CEO David Fenoglietto and engineer Tom Grden of Stantec of Pittsburgh attended yesterday's meeting and provided drawings of the development.

Perkins Eastman of Pittsburgh is the project architect. Fenoglietto said the future nursing home complex will include four individual buildings, each of which will house 10-12 residents, as well as independent living apartments in a separate building.

Each resident will have a separate bedroom and bath and there will be common dining and community areas.

Fenoglietto said the project will shortly go out for bids. He did not have a timeline but initial projections were for the facility to be operational by next April.

Lutheran SeniorLife, based in Mars, operates residential and assisted living communities in the region as well as LIFE (Living Independence For the Elderly) facilities in Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties.

According to the website, Dr. William H. Thomas, M.D., a geriatric physician and author of many books on the elderly, created the Green House Project, in an effort to address the "loneliness, helplessness and boredom" of the elderly in traditional institutions.

More information about the Green House concept is available at http://thegreenhouseproject.org.

(Email: grzebieniak@ncnewsonline.com)

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