As much as they’d like to think it’s possible, elderly residents in long-term care facilities have come to accept that a nursing home might be the last place they will call home. But a new pilot project, called Project Home, helped 60% of project’s participants transition from long-term care facilities to their homes, a news outlet reported.

Project Home, which is funded by the New York State Department of Health, uses a person-centered approach to help nursing home residents develop the skills they need to return to their own communities. A team of case workers were assigned to each participant and helped them tackle logistical barriers to moving home, such as finding affordable housing, setting up prescription refills and medical appointments, arranging transportation, helping with grocery shopping and other critical day-to-day obligations, Electronic Component News reported.

Those involved with the project emphasize that entry into a nursing home isn’t necessarily a one-way street. Dedicating staff to patients’ individual needs can cut through the red tape that keeps them in nursing homes, researchers found.