Eden alternative

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The Eden Alternative is a global non-profit organization that aims to improve the quality of life of people receiving care and support. The philosophy of the Eden Alternative focuses on the well-being of all people living and working in care facilities, day care and hospices. Founded in the USA in the 1990s by gerontologist William H. Thomas and his wife Judith Meyer-Thomas , the Eden philosophy is now used in over 50 countries around the world.

history

The Eden Alternative was launched in the early 1990s by William Thomas and Judith Meyer-Thomas. Between 1991 and 2002, the two employees from nursing and care facilities continued their education according to the 10 principles of the Eden philosophy. Since then, care facilities around the world, including in the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and Iceland, but also in South Africa, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, have committed themselves to the Eden philosophy. Today over 30,000 people worldwide work according to the Eden Alternative philosophy. In Europe there are various national coordinators who are accompanied and supported by the Eden Alternative in the USA.

William Thomas traces the idea of ​​founding the Eden Alternative back to a key event in a senior citizens' home in New York: During a visit, a resident told him how much she suffered from loneliness. He realized that the residents suffered less from their physical limitations. Rather, it was above all the unheard psychological need for community, meaningful activity and self-determination that burdened them.

philosophy

The starting point of the Eden philosophy is the realization that older people and those in need of care in care facilities suffer above all from loneliness, helplessness and boredom. The Eden Alternative counteracts these ailments with a comprehensive cultural change in care facilities. Care is consistently rethought and redesigned based on the needs of the residents and the care staff. The Eden Alternative aims to improve the wellbeing of all people living and working in the facility. The Eden Alternative understands identity, growth, autonomy, security, connectedness, meaning and joy as central areas of action to support individual well-being from the outside.

According to the Eden philosophy, aging is not understood as a phase of internal and external decline, but as a separate phase of personality development and personal growth. The Eden philosophy takes the well-being of residents, employees, relatives and volunteers into account. The starting point is the conviction that care should not be understood as a one-way street between the carer and the person being cared for, but rather as a mutual care partnership. As part of the nursing partnership, everyone involved gives and receives support. The Eden Alternative is not committed to any specific worldview, but is ethically founded.

The 10 principles of the Eden alternative

At the core of the Eden philosophy are the ten principles of the Eden Alternative:

  1. Loneliness, helplessness and boredom are largely responsible for the suffering of older people.
  2. A community that focuses on the well-being of the elderly is committed to creating a living environment in which there is continuous close contact with people, animals and plants. It is personal relationships that show old and young people the way to a life worth living.
  3. A loving community counteracts loneliness. Of course, older people deserve to be close to people and animals.
  4. In a good community, older people are allowed to receive care as well as indulge others. Being able to be there for others counteracts the feeling of helplessness.
  5. A good community enriches everyday life through variety and spontaneity. It creates an environment in which the unexpected and the unpredictable can happen and thus counteracts the feeling of boredom.
  6. Senseless activity destroys the human mind. It is vital to our health that we have the opportunity to do things that we ourselves think are useful.
  7. Medical treatment should always be based on sincere human care. They must never be higher than this.
  8. A good community values ​​older people by preferring self-determination to bureaucratic authorities and hierarchies. As far as possible, decisions are left to the elderly or to those who are closest to them.
  9. Building a good community is a never-ending process. Human life must never be seen separately from human growth.
  10. Wise guidance is key in any effort to remove loneliness, helplessness, and boredom. Nothing can replace it.

Eden Alternative Germany

In Germany the SeniorenZentrum Krefeld and the Maria-Martha-Stift in Lindau have so far been registered as Eden alternative institutions.

Awards from Eden houses in Germany

With the SeniorenZentrum Krefeld and the Maria-Martha-Stift in Lindau, two German Eden houses have already been honored with awards:

Best Facility in Europe 2014

In 2014 the SeniorenZentrum Krefeld was awarded the “Best Facility in Europe” award by EAHSA (The European Aging Network).

“... In this organization, both the people who care and the people who receive care are valued in their individuality and treated with dignity and respect. The ethos of care that feeds on the Eden Alternative runs through the facility - from facility management to the board of directors, managers, employees, and volunteers. This enables older people who need support in their everyday life to have the best possible quality of life. ”From the laudation of the EAHSA jury, 2014

AltenPflege Prize 2014

The Maria-Martha-Stift in Lindau received the AltenPflege Award 2014. This year, the award given by the trade journal AltenPflege was under the motto “Self-determined and independent living”.

“It is impressive to see the consistency with which action spaces are opened up here, in which residents live care for others - and not just receive them.” From the laudation of the jury of AltenPflege, 2014

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Dr William (Bill) Thomas, Founder Eden Alternative. (No longer available online.) In: CommunityWest. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016 .;
  2. ↑ Conversations with Dr. Bill & Jude Thomas: Ending Ageism. (No longer available online.) In: The Eden Alternative. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016 ; Retrieved April 8, 2016 (American English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.edenalt.org
  3. ↑ Our team. In: The Eden Alternative. Retrieved April 8, 2016 (American English).
  4. ↑ Talking With Bill Thomas: Reimagining Nursing Homes. In: Caring.com. Retrieved April 8, 2016 .
  5. ↑ a b c Mission, Vision, Values, Principles. In: The Eden Alternative. Retrieved April 8, 2016 (American English).
  6. ^ Care Partners. In: The Eden Alternative. Retrieved April 8, 2016 (American English).
  7. ↑ Philosophy of the Eden Alternative. In: Eden Alternative. Retrieved April 8, 2016 .
  8. ↑ EAHSA AWARD | EAHSA. In: www.eahsa.eu. Retrieved April 8, 2016 .
  9. ↑ eZ Systems: AltenpflegePreis 2014 / AltenpflegePreis 2015 / Infopool - Altenpflege Online. In: www.altenpflege-online.net. Retrieved April 8, 2016 .