Josh Bagley, Guide of the Small Houses, Goodwin House Alexandria

I first experienced a nursing home when I visited my sick Grandmother during Halloween just before my 9^th birthday.  I remember being dressed in a costume looking down a long hallway with florescent lights reflecting off the shining tile floor.  The hallway was lined with more than 30 people in their wheelchairs passing candy out to me and the other neighborhood children.  At Goodwin House, we have reimagined the physical environment, operation, and philosophy of caring for those who are most vulnerable using the small house model of care. No more long hallways or other landmarks of an institution.  All stereotypes of nursing homes have been discarded. Our nursing assistants are called Care Partners – their primary purpose is not to aid the nurses but to be partners with residents in their own care.  Dignity, privacy, and individuality are the heart of the care provided.