Buckner International: BT Extra

LONGVIEW – Buckner Westminster Place, a Buckner Retirement Services community, celebrated the grand opening of its new Green House homes Saturday.

“After many months of construction, this was an exciting day for us and the whole community,” said executive director Glenn Shoemake. “The Green Houses place Longview on the map as a leader in the field of retirement services. It’s a new era – we’re excited to be a part of it.”

Debby Bravo, licensed nursing home administrator and Green House guide, said Buckner is the first retirement community to embrace the Green House model in East Texas and only the 13th in the nation.

“The eyes of Texas are upon us, but really, the eyes of the nation are upon us,” she said. “We’re on the forefront of this movement, which is expected to grow to nearly 50 homes in the next couple of years.

“This new wave of retirement living is taking off because the Green House model really focuses on the elders. It puts them first. There’s a big difference in being one of 10 residents in a small, home environment and being one of 120 in more institutionalized care.”

The Green House project, created by geriatrician and author William Thomas, focuses on de-institutionalizing long-term care by creating small group homes housing
eight to 10 people. The residents have private bedrooms and bathrooms, open kitchen/living areas called the “Hearth Room,” and are cared for by a nurturing “Shabaz,” or elder assistant. Residents are given universal access within the home and help establish menus, activities and house routines, while nurses make regular visits to assist with medical needs.

The first Green House community was built in Tupelo, Miss. in 2003.

“It is always our desire to provide the best care there is to our residents,” said Pearl Merritt, president of Buckner Retirement Services. “The Green House model is proven to make a difference in the lives of seniors, giving them more independence and greater sense of purpose as they live out their retirement years. This is just another way we can fulfill our mission to enhance the quality of life of senior adults while maintaining their dignity.”

Buckner Westminster Place, a 16-acre lakeside home to independent living, assisted living and memory-impaired senior adults, has operated in Longview since 1996.

View more photos of the GREENHOUSE® opening