Eden brochure

THE

EDEN alternative The Journey to Elder-Centred Communities

A L T E R N A T I V E TM

A life worth living

WHAT IS THE EDEN ALTERNATIVE? The Eden Alternative is a fast growing philosophy that seeks to change the culture of today’s old age homes, care facilities, and other residential care settings, from sterile medical institutions to human habitats - environments where residents want to live and carers enjoy working.

This pioneering approach provides a framework for re-modelling the world of long-term care of older people. It focuses on the provision of an environment that encourages the continuation of residents’ personal growth rather than their decline.

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The core concept of the Eden Alternative is simple: to teach ourselves to see old age homes, care facilities, and residential care homes, as communities rather than facilities for the frail and elderly. Creating elder-centred communities that encourage active care for plants and animals, as well as interactions with other adults and children, promotes a positive lifestyle.

This, in turn, enables elders to live happier, longer and healthier lives, while simultaneously reducing the need for medical intervention and drug therapies.

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SO, HOW DID THE EDEN PHILOSOPHY COME ABOUT? The Eden Alternative was developed by Dr William Thomas, a specialist geriatrician and Medical Director of a large New York nursing home. His vision was for the creation of environments where the three plagues of loneliness, helplessness and boredom that account for most of the suffering in care homes, are eliminated.

His vision became the Eden Alternative as he began to demonstrate how companionship, the opportunity to give meaningful care to other living things, and variety and spontaneity, could succeed where pills and therapies often fail.

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WHAT are THE principles behind the EDEN ALTERNATIVE? The three plagues of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom account for the bulk of suffering among our Elders.

Loving companionship is the antidote to loneliness. Elders deserve easy access to human and animal companionship.

An Elder-centred community commits to creating a human habitat where life revolves around close and continuing contact with plants, animals, and children.

It is these relationships that provide the young and old alike with a pathway to a life worth living.

An Elder-centred community creates opportunity to give as well as receive care.

This is the antidote to helplessness.

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An Elder-centred community imbues daily life with variety and spontaneity by creating an environment in which unexpected and unpredictable interactions and happenings can take place. This is the antidote to boredom.

Meaningless activity corrodes the human spirit. The opportunity to do things that we find meaningful is essential to human health.

Medical treatment should be the servant of genuine human caring, never its master.

An Elder-centred community honours its Elders by de-emphasizing top-down bureaucratic authority, seeking instead to place the maximum possible decisionmaking authority into the hands of the Elders or into the hands of those closest to them.

Creating an Elder-centred community is a never-ending process. Human growth must never be separated from human life.

Wise leadership is the lifeblood of any struggle against the three plagues.

For it, there can be no substitute.

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HOW successful has this approach been to date?

Following successes in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia and Europe, the Eden Alternative was established in the UK in 2005 as the new direction for elderly care. During 2011, the Eden Alternative was brought to South Africa, a Regional Coordinator for South Africa was appointed, and training programmes for Eden Associates, as well as other Eden training opportunities, are now well under way across the country, with many organisations working towards

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implementing the Eden philosophy in their homes. The success of The Eden Alternative lies in the fact that the concept is simple, adaptable to all cultures and is in line with modern trends in caring for older people.

The journey is a culture change that puts the decision making back into the hands of the residents and their carers. The ultimate objective is to create a vibrant environment in which residents continue to experience a life worth living.

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HOW COULD THIS NEW APPROACH BENEFIT MY BUSINESS? For all residents in care, the benefits of this approach are obvious, but with significant advantages for organisations, owners and managers of care homes, the Eden Alternative philosophy cannot be dismissed.

Care homes report happier staff who, in turn, give a better quality service.

Consequently, absenteeism and staff turnover are reduced. Research carried out

on homes adopting the Eden Alternative principles, report a reduction in pressure ulcers, incontinence, and the use of psychotropic medication. Perhaps the most enviable proof of success is that generally where the Eden Alternative is practised, residents are living longer and therefore vacancy rates are minimal.

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DOES THE EDEN ALTERNATIVE WORK IN THE COMMUNITY? EDEN AT HOME is an initiative of The Eden Alternative that applies Eden’s ten principle philosophy to improving the quality of life for older people living at home and their carers by the creation of care partnerships.

Care Partners are drawn from elders, their family members, friends, neighbours, volunteers and community health professionals. With the goal being changing the culture of care at the grassroots level, Eden at Home emphasises

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building creative and collaborative care partner teams, empowered by concepts central to person-centred care.

Eden at Home supports the wellbeing of the whole care partnership team. Working together, teams of care partners help to ensure the independence, dignity and continued growth and development of older people at home by striving to eliminate loneliness, helplessness and boredom for everyone on the team.

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What is the EDEN Register?

Homes listed on the Eden Alternative Register have made a public commitment to strive for the Principles and Practices of The Eden Alternative. They receive education, resources and support to continue the work of transforming their care practices, find new ways to define the relationship between all Care Partners and create a life worth living for everyone in their home and community.

You will find Eden Registry Members at all different stages of the process, which does

not mean that one home is better than the other. The important thing to remember is that the organisation has made a commitment to strive for a better way and that implementing The Eden Alternative is a never-ending journey.

Before embarking on the journey to the Eden Alternative Register South Africa the following should be in place: • Best practices in Person-Centred Care • Compliance with relevant legislation For further details see www.edenalt.co.za

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Journey to joining the Eden ALTERNATIVE Register S.A. Education • Formal leaders trained as Eden Associates • Board & Management introduced to Eden Alternative (Open Hearts Open Minds) • Plan compiled for training of other staff Commitment • Organisation makes a commitment to philosophy • Core team (Champions) identified to drive process • Support from residents, staff and family Taking action • Complete Path to Mastery – Milestone 1 Tracking Progress • Complete Eden Alternative Warmth Surveys • Create visual and written recordings of progress along the journey Join the register • Submit Application • Site visit from Eden Alternative SA • Sign Register Agreement and pay fee

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eden pathway in south africa Open Hearts Open Minds Eden Associate Training

Commitment

Care Partner: Putting Person Centred Values into Practice Training Additional Eden Alternative Training

Take action –Eden Register

WHERE DO I START, IF I WANT TO INTRODUCE THE EDEN ALTERNATIVE TO MY ORGANISATION? The first step to the Eden Alternative is commitment to its principles, followed by training of key staff to become Eden Associates or Eden at Home Trainers.

To however get the commitment, people need to know and understand more about what the Eden Philosophy is all about. The best way to introduce this to your leaders (Board, Management, residents and families) is the Open Hearts Open Minds introductory session.

Associate training starts with a three-day course. After this, there is further training available to support new Associates introducing the Eden Alternative and its principles to their specific environment.

To find out more about how to start your journey towards the Eden Alternative contact: • Rayne Stroebel, Regional Coordinator: South Africa at rayne@edenalt.co.za • Magda Pienaar, Operations Coordinator at magda@edenalt.co.za

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OUR MISSION Improving the lives of older people and their carers by transforming the communities in which they live and work.

OUR VISION: The elimination of Loneliness, Helplessness and Boredom.

OUR VALUES:

The Eden Alternative 10 Principles (See pages 3 & 4)

Section 21 company no: 2012/080984/08. For more information on how the Eden Alternative can help your organisation transform, please contact Magda Pienaar on 021 461 7754 or email magda@edenalt.co.za or info@edenalt.co.za.

Read the full story on www.edenalt.co.za Physical address: Boulevard Office Park, Ground Floor, Block C, Searle Street, Cape Town, 8000 postal address: PO Box 5342, Tygervalley 7536, South africa Make sure to join our facebook page facebook.com/edenaltsa

Licensee of The Eden Alternative, Inc. Rochester, NY, USA

A L T E R N A T I V E TM