Opportunity
Problem
There is a shortage of skilled and respectful assisted living facilities that are full-time. CT does not have enough skilled, short-term facilities that can provide medically qualified care for its residents.
Solution
Bright House is a home for 14 full-time residents of assisted living. It offers medically-skilled and self-sustaining care, as well as skilled nursing care for residents who are short-term. Bright House is a beautifully renovated 6 acre property, the former Wayfield Bed and Breakfast. It is located in Middletown CT, a small college town. Bright House brings together decades worth of experience and alternative visions for the potential in our older family members’ latest years.
Market
The Baby Boomers’ aging is a well-known, and often discussed, fact. This group, which included many of those who created the counterculture of the 1970s and 60s, is increasingly unhappily amazed at the number of options they have as they get older. Fortunately, like the American Association of Retired Persons (formerly AARP), elder-care alternatives based around the Eden Care model are being established.
Residents’/Patients’ Needs
Based on years of care for elderly patients, our experience shows that people who are looking for skilled nursing care or assisted living care have many similar needs.
- To be treated with respect and dignity
- To actively engage in a social group
- Participation in one’s/her treatment and life plan
- To be cared for by skilled, medically-knowledgeable clinicians and caregivers, working as a team
It may seem that our list is in the opposite order of that of many nursing homes. This is not an accident. Unfortunately, most of our elderly population who need care are treated with the billing system’s needs, and not their own, in mind.
Families’#8217 Needs
In the same way, families seeking caring environments for loved ones have their own set needs.
- It gives them peace of mind about their loved one’s physical and mental health.
- Relief from the time-consuming job of caring for their family members themselves
- It is possible to feel relief from the guilt they often feel when they are unable to provide the proper care for someone they love.
Family members who are seeking care need to be aware that the unstated, big elephant in their room is the feeling of being a bad wife, daughter or son. She is not willing or capable of giving up her life for someone she loves. Bright House doesn’t want to discredit this feeling. Instead, we try to assure families that choosing to let us care for their loved ones is a caring, kind, and generous act.
Concurrence
There are a number of different options for families seeking nursing home care, from in-hospital recovery centers, to for-profit chains, to specialized care for people with Alzheimer’s, AIDS, diabetes, and so on. The closest care facility to our model is the specialized care facility. These facilities offer personalized nursing care but are usually reserved for individuals with particular medical issues.
Why Us
Bright House encourages dignity and self worth in all our residents. We strive to provide excellent quality life, as determined by residents individually and collectively. We encourage residents to participate in decision-making by the House Councils. Residents also have access to all areas of Bright House. They can also choose their own activities, socialization and food preferences. Bright House is not just a caregiving facility–it is their home, and their community.