The Shorehaven nursing home in Oconomowoc, Wis., is one of a new breed of facility built in the "household model." They are smaller with lots of sunlight and spaces for socializing and quieter spots for contemplation, according to an article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

There aren't many homelike nursing homes in the state, perhaps fewer than 10% or 15% of all facilities, according to Terry McLaughlin, chairman of Community Living Solutions, which designs and builds housing for seniors.

But industry consensus says it's the way forward, the article said.

Most of the state's nursing facilities were built decades ago in the 1980s or earlier. Their signature is long hallways flanked with rooms. Today, nursing homes are trying to keep up with a new, more demanding group of consumers, the article said. 

Nursing homes in Wisconsin that can afford new buildings are choosing home-based environments, according to the article. The state Department of Health Services offers an incentive for using modern designs, and out of the 15 construction projects in the state since 2011, 14 were based on the small-home trend.

Read the article.