Someren Glen is proud to be an Eden Alternative Registered community. The Eden Alternative is a non-profit organization that provides education and support to eliminate conditions that can lead to loneliness, helplessness, and boredom, conditions which are rampant in many long term care settings. By moving away from the traditional institutional model of long term care, we create a community where senior adults live and thrive and direct their own lives.
The Eden Alternative was founded by Dr. William Thomas. Dr. Thomas, a Harvard-educated physician, experienced life in a nursing home as a Medical Director and saw many things that disturbed him. He saw that the institutional practices of nursing homes were causing more suffering for our elders than were their physical ailments and that while nursing homes were treating medical problems, they were doing nothing to cure the painful experiences of loneliness, helplessness and boredom. He began to consider a different kind of world, a place where elders could live in a human habitat with continued opportunities to grow, to learn, and to give back to others and society. Eden Alternative registered communities embrace a never ending journey that nurtures loving deep relationships where people are engaged in a life worth living.
Someren Glen has chosen to become a part of the Eden Alternative registry to honor the hard work that has gone into transforming institutional practices into ones that create a warm, loving community as well as a strong statement of our commitment to continue on this journey.
You will see this commitment throughout our Community. At The Suites at Someren Glen Health Center, you will notice how different we are than other nursing homes. You will see that we are focused on a home like environment and removing institutional “trappings”. Therefore, our nursing team doesn’t wear clinical “scrubs”, we don’t have a clinical nursing station or big medication carts rolling up and down the hallways with residents lined up waiting for their medications. Likewise, you won’t hear overhead paging or the incessant beeping of call lights and alarms, or see residents woken up at 5:00 am for breakfast. Instead, you should experience a calm and quiet environment. You might see a resident having a late breakfast after rising at his or her leisure, residents enjoying a glass of wine in the dining room, the concierge handing out dog biscuits to 4-legged visitors, or team members and residents together celebrating and honoring life’s milestones.
You will also notice the Eden principles in action in the Willows and Aspens Residential Living neighborhoods, in the Assisted Living neighborhoods and throughout our entire operation. We are a “resident-directed” community which is evidenced in the way we approach problem solving, new policy and program development, and even the hiring of new associates. Someren Glen residents serve important roles in search and interview committees for key team members, in committee meetings to develop new programs, and in the day-to-day functioning of the community.
Changing culture through the principles of the Eden Alternative is a never-ending journey. We have a strong foundation for moving forward but there are many more milestones to reach. Residents play a crucial role in this journey. Someren Glen offers regular Eden Alternative educational opportunities. Please contact the Executive Director, the Associate Executive Director or the Director of Community Life to learn more about these opportunities and to get involved. For more information, visit the Eden Alternative website.