The Eden Alternative® is a philosophy of person-directed care. 

We teach it. You empower it. People live it.

A highly adaptable philosophy, The Eden Alternative currently offers Principles and Practices that acknowledge and support the unique needs of people in various living environments, ranging from the nursing home (including memory support communities) to individual family homes and group homes.

The framework of The Eden Alternative includes Ten (10) Eden Principles and the Seven (7) Eden Domains of Wellbeing.  These form the foundation for fundamental transformational change in care settings for individuals,organisations and communities.

As a principle-based approach, The Eden Alternative empowers care partners, whether they are employees, family members, or volunteers, to transform institutional approaches to care into the creation of communities where quality of life is valued and wellbeing is paramount.

The Eden Alternative firmly believes that transforming the culture of care unfolds one relationship at a time, and that deep change can only take root when the entire continuum of care is involved.

By embedding the 10 Principles into an organisation or home’s environment you will begin to eliminate the three plagues of loneliness, helplessness and boredom.

Why the Eden Alternative?

Three reasons…to eliminate…

Loneliness and social isolation is one reason why many people give up the will to live. This can happen in the community, in your own home or in a residential care environment, in society in general. Many of the practices we see in residential care environments rob people of the opportunities to provide care, creating a sense of helplessness, and our sense of purpose fades along with the reason for living.

Many of the practices we have in residential care settings or community environments rob people of the opportunities to provide care to others, creating a sense of helplessness, and our sense of purpose fades along with the reason for living.

Although we provide programs and activities that many people have not previously engaged in, there is a sense of sameness or lack of control that often leads to boredom in the lives of those we care and support. Meaningless activity destroys the human spirit.

The Eden philosophy is a powerful model that enables the creation of meaningful relationships, improved well-being for people living with different abilities.  We are challenging the institutional control of care, the alternative reflecting the power of communities of care.

Research has shown this leads to improved quality of care and higher rates of satisfaction for everyone involved, while also benefiting the organisation financially.