Episode 5:10 Susan Ryan Shares Why Green House Project Was the Bright Spot of Covid-19

The Green House Project proves smaller is better—making national news for zero Covid-19 cases. Learn about their commitment to dignified spaces for those in need of long-term care, their universal worker model, and how treating the elderly as valuable and intrinsically worthy changes the paradigm of senior living.

About Susan

Susan Ryan, Senior Director of The Green House Project, is a leader in the strategic development of innovative thinking and cultural paradigm shifts. With international speaking and project management experience, she has served as an integral part of The Green House Project for over 12 years and has led the team through key transitions. In the quest for quality long-term care environments that are accessible and affordable, Susan has sought to leverage lessons learned from research conducted on the Green House model to develop protocols and metrics to ensure growth and sustainability.

A social entrepreneur with a passion for improving quality of life for elders and those working closest to them, she offers a unique combination of skills in Nursing, Gerontology, Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and strategic marketing.

Susan has a background in nursing, with over 30 years of experience serving elders in a variety of settings across the continuum of care. She has been featured as a speaker many times at LeadingAge, The Pioneer Network and other high-profile conferences.

Key Takeaways

• Green House Project’s core values are Real Home—private rooms with ensuite shower, social spaces, and access to outdoors; Meaningful Life—fostering deep relationships that define the culture and finding purpose; and Empowered Workforce—a function of wise leaders able to share decision-making power.
• Green House utilizes the universal worker model, a self-managed work team where consistent staff perform resident care duties but also do the cooking, cleaning, and laundry. Fewer people coming and going limits exposure.
• Ageism is discriminating against our future selves.
• Long-Term Care Systems are devalued and thus underfunded. Elders are seen as “less-than.” Without funding and a shift in policy, we are “putting a bandaid on a gaping wound.”