Celebrate National Nursing Home Week…..You Make a Difference!!!
As we come upon National Nursing Home Week, the reality is we aren’t likely to see a special section of the greeting cards aisle in the store dedicated to this theme.
Chris Perna, The Eden Alternative Blog
Safe to Reduce Antipsychotics Says New Study
A recent article in McKnight’s Long Term Care magazine highlights a study that concludes it is safe in most cases to eliminate antipsychotic drugs.
Why Such a Big Gap?
A recent survey asks “Would you recommend this (skilled nursing) facility as a place to work?” Not surprisingly, there’s a 20 percent gap between administrators and CNAs.
Inspiring Your Board to Get Onboard with Culture Change
Are you looking for a new idea on how to inspire your Board of Directors to support your culture change journey?
Dementia Beyond Drugs: Changing Perspectives and Changing Lives in Tennessee
We are excited to see the impact that this training will have over the coming months on psychotropic drug usage and quality of life for people living with dementia and their care partners in Tennessee. We hope that we can then use this CMP grant-funde…
Eden Alternative Delivers Major Dementia Training Initiative in Tennessee
A press release issued today by the Tennessee Department of Health states that the Office of Health Care Facilities has secured a CMP grant totaling more than $370,000 to provide training for 749 people including nursing home direct care staff members, state surveyors and managers, State Long-Term Care Ombudsmen and members of the Tennessee Advancing Excellence [...]
Eden Alternative’s Presence Felt at AHCA Conference in Tampa
One of the ways we are getting exposure for The Eden Alternative these days is by exhibiting and speaking at industry events like the recent AHCA Annual Conference in Tampa, Fl. In Tampa Nancy Fox and I partnered on an educational session where we talked to more than 100 people about our new Neighborhood Guide Curriculum [...]
Surplus Safety….More Than Meets the Eye
I had the privilege recently of attending a symposium about “surplus safety,” put together by the Erickson School at the University of Maryland at Baltimore and funded by the Maurice Rothschild Foundation. Many thanks to these organizations for convening a group of more than 30 of the best and brightest minds in the world of [...]
Bridging the Gap in Dementia Care
Following are excerpts from an article with the same title as this post written by Kathleen Lourde that appears in the September issue of Provider Magazine, both the print and on-line versions. G. Allen Power, MD, author of “Dementia Beyond Drugs: Changing the Culture of Care,” proposes a simple yet, for many providers, radical idea: [...]
The Argument for Well-Being Through Culture Change
At the Eden Alternative we’ve known about the plague of loneliness for a long time. We teach about loneliness, helplessness, and boredom, the three plagues of the human spirit, and the negative effects they can have on Elders and their care partners, robbing them of their well-being and quality of life. Our teaching about loneliness [...]
The Hillside Piano Player
Sandra Wood, the activity coordinator for Hillside Residential Care Home in Swansea, England attended the Eden Associate course taught by our Regional Coordinators for UK and Ireland, June Burgess and Paul Bailey. According to Sandra, this is what happened when she returned to work. “After spending a few days with June and Paul learning about [...]
Wellspring Program Becomes Part of The Eden Alternative
Two culture change leaders, The Eden Alternative and the Lifespan-Network’s Wellspring Program, are now one. The official announcement of The Eden Alternative’s acquisition of the Wellspring Program was made last week at the 6th Eden Alternative International Conference. Charlotte Eliopolous, Executive Director of the Wellspring Program, joined Dr. Bill Thomas, co-founder of The Eden Alternative, and me to make the exciting announcement at the opening session of our International Conference in front of more than 350 people from seven different countries.
CMS and AHCA Call for Reduced Use of Antipsychotic Drugs — How are You Addressing this Issue?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched a national action plan aimed at reducing the use of antipsychotics by raising public awareness, increasing public reporting, regulatory oversight and research and assistance. The Eden Alternative has responded by launching two new groundbreaking programs to help reduce the off-label use of antipsychotic drugs: Reframing Dementia and Dementia Beyond Drugs.
Bowman and Gifford Teaming Up at Eden Alternative Conference
Carmen Bowman and Dr. David Gifford, two of the most influential people in the world of long-term care culture change, are teaming up to present at the upcoming 6th Eden Alternative International Conference May 30-June 1 in Grand Rapids, Mich. Carmen and Dr. Gifford are well known advocates and thought leaders with an impressive track [...]
Next Generation of Long-Term Care: Personable and Person-Focused
Are we finally getting more comfortable going outside the box to deliver dignified care? Anne-Marie Botek at AgingCare.com recently explored concepts like dementia towns, Green Houses, Villages, and The Eden Alternative. She made the point that putting people first sometimes means doing some unconventional things; like allowing plants, animals, and children into nursing homes to help deliver care to [...]
Intergenerational Activities Down Under
For 20 years The Eden Alternative has shown that quality of life for elders and children can be significantly enhanced through intergenerational activities. This is part of creating a “Human Habitat,” which is key to the Eden Alternative philosophy. Nursing homes around the world are now seeing the value of bringing children into the lives of [...]
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