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title: "“[Dr. Thomas] decided to transform the nursing home. Based on a…"
date: 2016-07-24
source: facebook
type: Archer T. Ships shared a link.
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# “[Dr. Thomas] decided to transform the nursing home. Based on a…

*July 24, 2016 · Facebook*

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[http://www.nextavenue.org/he-broke-the-law-to-build-a-better-nursing-home/](http://www.nextavenue.org/he-broke-the-law-to-build-a-better-nursing-home/){target="_blank"}
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"\[Dr. Thomas\] decided to transform the nursing home. Based on a hunch, he persuaded his staff to stock the facility with two dogs, four cats, several hens and rabbits, and 100 parakeets, along with hundreds of plants, a vegetable and flower garden, and a day-care site for staffers' kids.\
"All those animals in a nursing home broke state law, but for Thomas and his staff, it was a revelation. Caring for the plants and animals restored residents' spirits and autonomy; many started dressing themselves, leaving their rooms and eating again. The number of prescriptions fell to half of that of a control nursing home, particularly for drugs that treat agitation. Medication costs plummeted, and so did the death rate.\"\
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Via @\[588732176:2048:Christine Peterson\]
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