What do you see? If you can see 2 different images, then you understand what an epiphany is. Epiphanies help us shift our perspective, see the world differently. And once you see that it can be different, there is no going back! That is what the Eden Approach offers, a chance to see the experience of aging and accepting support differently. When you can see it differently, it can be world changing!
It is easy, when visiting a congregate care setting, to see the place through the lens of services, layout, the quality of the furnishings, the color of the walls, etc. How might your perspective, and what you see, change if you looked through the lens of well-being? Kristi used a well-being perspective when visiting some Certified Members in Nova Scotia. This is what she learned.
We have all heard the stories of people that have needed intense medical support to deal with a trauma in their life. We’ve heard both the good and bad from that experience. However, if mindsets are shifted then care can be seen through a different lens. If care systems redesigned, people can genuinely receive the type of support they most need. These types of experiences can shift to stories of healing, comfort, and well-being.
In our healthcare system, care plans are used to identify the support a person needs and the challenges they face. However, framing care needs through the lens of diagnosis or disease can generalize individual experiences, emphasizing a collective identity rather than personal circumstances. Traditionally, care plans have been linked to nursing, with many people viewing them as exclusively within the nurses’ scope of responsibility. The Eden Alternative redefines care as supporting someone’s growth, intentionally replacing the term “care plan” with “growth plan.” To create a truly meaningful growth plan, each Elder must be thoroughly understood and assessed for factors like loneliness, helplessness, boredom, and overall well-being.
“When you hand good people possibility, they do great things.” (Biz Stone) When leaders are on the same wavelength, they work together more smoothly, communicate clearly, and drive the team toward shared goals. It helps avoid confusion and keeps everyone focused on what’s important. That’s the secret sauce to shifting the culture of care!
Ever notice how when someone accepts support services into their home, it is like an invasion has occurred. Not due to ill intent, but due to the influx of the institutional model of care. The sense of home may disappear. Yet, it can be different!
The system and the language that we have inherited seem to be in opposition of what we hold in our hearts. With our language we create a world for the people that we partner in support with to experience and we have the power to make it a world worth living in.
The system and the language that we have inherited seem to be in opposition of what we hold in our hearts. With our language we create a world for the people that we partner in support with to experience and we have the power to make it a world worth living in.
It’s vital to staying engaged, growing, and adapting. That’s why we created “Shaping the Future of Aging,” a podcast designed to reflect the power of a growth mindset.
By centering mutual understanding – both in leadership and in life – we create the conditions for people to connect bravely, collaborate respectfully, and live authentically.
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