The heart of the Green House® elder care model is the Shahbaz (plural: Shahbazim), a universal worker who performs housekeeping, laundry, cooking, and elder care. The Shahbazim are the core staff in each Green House home. The Elders and Shahbazim are the primary decision-makers for each home.
The Shahbazim are certified nursing assistants who receive additional training in:
- CPR
- First aid
- Culinary skills
- Safe food handling
- Household operations, including basic maintenance and emergency response
- The Green House® curriculum, which includes:
- The Green House philosophy of care
- Communication skills
- Self-managed work team skills, including problem–solving and consensus–based decision making
- Specific policies and procedures for The Green House® model
- Person–directed care for people with dementia