Columbus Tests a Homier Model for Senior Care

Columbus is among the places testing a different model for nursing care: small-house facilities designed to feel like homes rather than institutions, with a handful of residents sharing a kitchen and living space instead of a long corridor of rooms. Early results are drawing attention from care providers elsewhere.

The design philosophy holds that environment shapes well-being, and that the institutional layout of traditional nursing homes works against the dignity and autonomy of residents. A homier setting, advocates argue, improves both mood and care.

The model is more staff-intensive and harder to scale, and skeptics question whether it can work economically at volume. But for families weighing options, the difference in feel is often immediate and persuasive.