Building

1

The Eden Alternative TM

• Building
• Human Habitats

2
Principle One

• States the Problem...

The three plagues of loneliness, helplessness,
and boredom account for the bulk of suffering
among our Elders.
3
Eden Vocabulary

• Loneliness
• the pain we feel when we want, but can not have,
  companionship

4
Eden Vocabulary

• Helplessness...
• the pain we feel when we only receive care but do
  not have an opportunity to give care.

5
Eden Vocabulary

• Boredom...
• the pain we feel when our lives lack variety and
  spontaneity.

6
Eden Ideas

• Loneliness, Helplessness and Boredom are
  plagues of the human spirit, not the human body.
• Medical Treatment offers no balm to ease the
  suffering from these plagues.

7
Eden Results
Human Habitats help Elders combat loneliness,
helplessness and boredom
8
Principle Two

• Gives us the solution...

An Elder-centered 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.
9
Eden Vocabulary

• Human Habitat
• Human beings were not created to live in cold,
  sterile institutions.
• A true Human Habitat is a Garden...

10
Eden Ideas

• Institutions control
• Habitats nurture and grow

11
Eden Ideas

• People Who Live in Institutions...
• Convicted Criminals
• The Chronically Mentally Ill
• Cloistered Nuns
• Juvenile Delinquents
• Military Recruits
• Our Frail Elders

12
Eden Ideas
Human Habitats

• nurture the human spirit as well as the human
  body

It is better to live in a garden.
13
Eden Ideas

• Our frail Elders deserve...
• A rich, vibrant environment that is filled with
  social and biological diversity.
• Opportunities to build relationships with other
  living things.
• A life worth living.

14
Eden Ideas

• Human Habitats Contain
• Animals that live with the Elders
• Making Children a part of daily life
• Lush, Green, Growing Plants
• Empowered Caregivers working together
• Meaningful Relationships
• Measuring Results

15
Eden Results
Human Habitats help Caregivers improve their
level of performance
16
Principle Three

• One of the Antidote Principles...

Loving companionship is the antidote to
loneliness. Elders deserve easy access to human
and animal companionship.
17
Eden Vocabulary

• Companionship
• Close and Continuing Contact
• Animal Companionship is an Ancient and Universal
  balm for loneliness
• For Human Companionship to flourish, people must
  know each others stories

18
Eden Tools

• Dogs and the Human Habitat

• Work closely with a veterinarian
• Provide training for dogs and staff members
• Identify necessary equipment
• Provide for the dogs health needs
• Plan for the appropriate daily care
• Evaluate your dogs performance

19
Principle Four
The Antidote to Helplessness...

• An Elder-centered community creates opportunity
  to give as well as receive care. This is the
  antidote to helplessness.

20
Eden Ideas

• Care Balance
• Elders need more opportunities to give care.
• Staff need more opportunities to receive care.

21
Eden Ideas

• You work hard to balance your financial books
• Do you work hard to create a healthy balance
  between giving and receiving care for your Elders
  and Staff Members?

22
Eden Tools

• Gardens and the Human Habitat

• Add to rather than replace indoor plants
• Wheelchair accessible/ Raised beds
• Low Maintenance
• Flowers and Vegetables
• Involve Elders in Care and Harvesting
• Attract Local Wildlife

23
Eden Results
Human Habitats help Elders maintain function and
independence
24
Eden Tools

• Cats and the Human Habitat

• Work closely with a veterinarian
• Use a Temperament Test
• Identify necessary equipment
• Provide your cats health Needs
• Plan for the Appropriate Daily Care
• Evaluate your Cats Performance

25
Principle Five

• The Antidote to Boredom...

.An Elder-centered 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.
26
Eden Ideas
In a bureaucracy, spontaneity is unwanted. In a
Habitat it is welcomed...

• Unrelieved Routine Dulls the Senses and the Mind
• Spontaneity Can Not Be Scheduled
• Small, Unexpected Pleasures Delight the Human
  Spirit

27
Eden Tools

• Birds and the Human Habitat

• Make birds available to everyone
• Use birds from a reputable breeder
• Your flock must be screened for Psittacosis
• Encourage residents to participate in the
  training and care
• Aviaries should add to rather than replace birds
  in resident rooms

28
Eden Results
Human Habitats promote better attendance among
Caregivers
29
Principle Six

• Principles 6, 7 8 are the things we have relied
  too heavily upon...

Meaningless activity corrodes the human spirit.
The opportunity to do things that we find
meaningful is essential to human health.
30
Eden Ideas

• Elders Daily Lives Should
• Be Rich with Meaning
• Include Caregiving
• Be Self-directed
• Be Spiced with Unexpected
  Happenings
• Include Daily Pleasures

31
Eden Ideas

• The Eden Alternative Test
• Is the intervention close to the Elder?
• Does it offer continuous access to
• companionship?
• opportunities to give care?
• variety and spontaneity?
• Does the intervention promote human growth?

32
Eden Tools

• Children and the Human Habitat

• Create Ways to make Children a part of everyday
  life in your setting.
• Child Care/Nursery School
• Individual Field Trips from School Aged Children
• After-School Program
• Community Groups (4H,Scouts)
• Summer Camp
• Your Own School
• Expanded Volunteer Programs

33
Eden Tools

• Plants and the Human Habitat

• Encourage Elders to care for their plants
• Many hundreds of plants are needed
• Use live, growing plants
• Use non-toxic species including fragrant herbs

34
Eden Results
Human Habitats help Elders find pleasure in daily
life
Plt0.0009
35
Principle Seven

• Weve relied too heavily on medical treatment...

Medical treatment should be the servant of
genuine human caring, never its master.
36
Eden Ideas

• Medications are too often used as a substitute
  for genuine care.
• The need for medications decreases when we
  recognize and respond to our Elders spiritual
  needs.

37
Eden Results

• Medications are
• too often used thoughtlessly
• too often toxic
• too expensive
• an inadequate substitute for genuine care
• Careful Reductions
• save money
• improve quality of life

Drug Cost per Resident per Day
38
Principle Eight

• Weve relied too heavily upon top-down
  bureaucratic authority...

An Elder-centered community honors its Elders by
de-emphasizing top-down bureaucratic authority
and seeking instead to place the maximum possible
decision-making authority into the hands of the
Elders or into the hands of those closest to
them.
39
Eden Vocabulary
Eden Alternative Golden Rule...

• As Management Does Unto Staff, So Staff Shall Do
  Unto Elders

40
Eden Ideas

• Decision-Making Authority Should Be Placed With
  the Elder or as Close to the Elder as Possible.
• Where are decisions made in your organization?

41
Eden Vocabulary

• Eden Alternative
• Culture Change
• Culture The attitudes and beliefs that
  characterize an organization

42
Eden Ideas
What is the temperature of the Culture in your
Organization?
Optimism Trust Generosity
Pessimism Cynicism Stinginess
Warm
Cold
43
Eden Ideas

• You wouldnt plant a garden in frozen soil and
  shouldnt start with Eden until you have warmed
  your organization.

44
Eden Ideas

• Be sure to warm your organization before you
  plant the seed.
• Good deeds done without the expectation of return
  warm an organization.

45
Eden Results
Human Habitats promote gentleness among Caregivers
46
Principle Nine

• The Eden Alternative understands that

Creating an Elder-centered community is a
never-ending process. Human growth must never be
separated from human life.
47
Eden Ideas

• The Eden Alternative has the Power to Changes
  Peoples Lives If.
• It is Established as the Philosophy that Drives
  all Decision-Making in a Facility
• The Leadership Demonstrates its Commitment
  through its Actions
• Elders Use the Human Habitat to Create Meaning in
  their Lives

48
Eden Ideas

• Team Approach
• Few Layers of Management
• Elders Front-line Staff Make Most Decisions
• Elder Directed Focus
• Encourages Innovation and Pride

• Department Approach
• Numerous Layers of Management
• Managers Make Most Decisions
• Organization Directed Focus
• Encourages Conformity with Established Routines

49
Eden Results

• Living is More than Not Dying
• We have demonstrated a significant reduction in
  mortality compared with a control facility.

Average of Deaths per Quarter Both are 80 bed
nursing homes
50
Principle Ten
Wise leadership is the lifeblood of any struggle
against the three plagues. For it, there can be
no substitute.
Dr. Bill and Judy Thomas
51
Eden Ideas

• What Kind of World Do You Want to Make?

52
Eden Ideas

• A Human Habitat is just three steps away
• Vision
• Create a shared vision
• Involve people in the Planning
• Education
• Teach people the Eden Alternative Principles
• Assess and develop new skills
• Implementation
• Use the Principles to create your Human Habitat
• Constantly growing and changing

53
Eden Ideas
Education is the Key to growing a beautiful Garden

• Staff
• Elders
• Physicians
• Regulators
• Community
• Board/Owners
• Families

Longest, Most Demanding Stage of the Edenizing
Process
54

• Implementation
• A Big Bang implementation is best
• Keep up morale in the face of resistance
• Continue to educate
• Show the world the good that you are doing

55
Eden Tools

• Learn More about The Eden Alternative

• Connect with Eden Associates, Mentors, and
  Regional Coordinators
• Learn how to become part of this vital social
  movement
• Visit our Web Site for the latest information and
  links

www.edenalt.com
56
The Eden Alternative TM
It can be different!