Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
Learn more about The Eden Alternative. Flexible. Effective. Accessible.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
About The Eden Alternative:
What is The Eden Alternative? Is Eden a program?
We are a 501c3 non-profit organization with a global mission to improve the well-being of Elders and their care partners – by transforming the communities in which they live and work.
Because well-being is a human right, we provide an approach to care that supports the WHOLE person, that upholds their right to a life full of purpose, connection, empowerment, and possibility – regardless of age or changing abilities.
We provide education, tools, and resources to help care partner teams look at their roles differently than the traditional models of care. Our work impacts hundreds of thousands of people across more than 20 countries and transforms caring relationships throughout all care settings and services.
The Eden Approach is not a program, and it does not add to your workload. With the Eden Approach, you will do what you already do, differently.
What kinds of services and products do you offer?
- Education – In-person and online training in leadership, person-directed care, and person-directed dementia care
- Consulting – Personalized coaching to move your organization toward a culture of person-directed care
- Eden Membership – Tools, resources, and best practices in person-directed care, including an online community to connect with other Eden Members
How did The Eden Alternative begin?
In 1994, Dr. Bill Thomas was the Medical Director of a nursing home in upstate New York. While preparing to present treatment options to a resident who needed medical care, she surprised him with the words, “Dr. I’m so lonely.”
Despite being a Harvard-trained physician, Dr. Bill was never taught how to treat loneliness. He realized that loneliness, helplessness, and boredom afflicted many of the residents, which inspired him, and his wife Jude, to seek a new approach to caring for people as they age and live with changing abilities. This is now known worldwide as The Eden Alternative.
How has the Eden Alternative changed over the years?
Then …
- Dr. Bill Thomas & Jude Thomas
- Three Plagues of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom
- Ten Principles of The Eden Alternative®
- Focus on plants, animals, and children
- Focus on Elders
- Certified Eden Associate Training
- Eden Path to Mastery- Milestones 1 – 4
- Eden Registry®
- US and Canada only
- In-person education
Now!
- Eden Alternative Home Office Team
- Human conditions of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom
- Updated Ten Principles of The Eden Alternative®
- Focus on person-directed care & well-being for all
- Focus on care partnership
- Updated Certified Eden Associate Training
- Eden Tracks & Practices®
- Eden Membership®
- Over 20 countries worldwide
- In-person, online live, and online self-study education
- The Eden Alternative Domains of Well-Being®
- Educational tools and resources:
- Leadership
- Empowered teams
- Community building
- Person-directed dementia care
What makes the Eden Approach® different from other culture change approaches?
- The Eden Alternative can be present in any living environment. The Eden Alternative offers best practices that are proven to be effective from over 30 years of implementation by hundreds of organizations.
- The Eden Approach uses education and best practices designed to de-institutionalize and transform the living environment and promote well-being for all who partner in care.
- Eden Membership connects professionals and providers committed to person-directed care. This vast network helps members and course participants grow by providing access to the latest information, techniques, and best practices.
- The Eden Tracks & Practices offer specific recommendations and tools to help communities and individuals choose where they want to focus first.
- We have a flexible approach that helps you build your own path to person-directed care. We don’t build buildings. We build meaningful and engaging communities.
Why should I choose the Eden Approach over other culture change approaches?
- The Eden Alternative is culture change. We have continuously updated best practices learned from real-life experiences for over 30 years.
- The Eden Alternative helps people change the way they think, from the institutional, medical model of care to person-directed care.
- The shift in thinking can happen regardless of your financial means. The power of the paradigm shift to change the approach doesn’t cost anything.
- The Eden Alternative empowers and supports teams with the tools they need to sustain culture change.
Does The Eden Alternative own nursing homes or assisted living communities?
- The Eden Alternative does not own any long-term care communities. We work with teams to help create vibrant communities for elders and care partners.
- Eden Community Builders (Educator/consultants) have experience working in long-term care communities and we have worked within communities to learn best practices – both what works, and what doesn’t.
What are the first steps to working with Eden?
How do I get started?
How do I bring Eden to my community?
- Reach out to The Eden Alternative and set up a one-on-one conversation with an Eden Education or Eden Membership team member. edenalt.org/elevate
- Share with us where you are today, and where you want to go.
- We will explore your current practices and discover areas of growth, then share what resources are available to support you and recommend next steps.
Does The Eden Alternative build small homes for long-term care?
No, we focus our work on education, consulting, and sharing tools to create community in any living environment.
What is the benefit for my community to become an Eden Member? Can individuals join Eden Membership?
Please see the Eden Membership page of our website for more information. edenalt.org/membership
If I live outside the US, can I join Eden Membership?
Anyone can join Eden Membership. If you live outside the US or Canada, there are Eden Alternative Global Partners who lead Eden Alternative organizations around the globe.
Visit edenalt.org/our-global-partners to find an Eden Alternative Global Alliance partner near you.
Do you have data to back up this approach?
Does it really work and why should I invest in this
for my organization?
Yes, we have data! Please view our Return On Investment (ROI) Whitepaper. edenalt.org/roi
Is Eden just for large organizations?
What if I don’t work for an organization?
The Eden Alternative is for everyone who partners in care with another. While we have extensive experience in working with organizations of all sizes, we also provide resources and membership for individuals.
Personal transformation is the first step in providing person-directed care and removing the institutional framework or mindset.
Is Dr. Bill Thomas still involved with The Eden Alternative?
Dr. Bill and Jude Thomas were the founders of The Eden Alternative and stayed active with the organization through board membership for over 20 years.
They are no longer on the board; however, they remain in contact with the organization and attended the Eden Alternative 30th Anniversary Conference in June 2024.
Where can I learn more about The Eden Alternative?
Ready to get started? Discuss next steps.
Organizations we collaborate with:
Living Well with Dementia with AI Power, MD
A 6-course series featuring THE expert on
proactive, person-directed dementia care.
