Providence Health Care - About Providence

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OVERVIEW

Providence Health Care has adopted the Eden Alternative as the guiding philosophy in our residential care settings. This philosophy provides guidance on how we can help elders continue living meaningful lives when they become too frail to live independently. Eden is congruent with, and helps us to live, PHC's Mission and Values.

The Eden philosophy was founded by American physician Bill Thomas. He developed 10 principles that when followed create a world full of opportunity for elders in our residential facilities — opportunities for elders to be respected and honored for their wisdom, opportunities to give back to their community and opportunities to be engaged in activities they find meaningful every day. As Dr. Thomas said, "it has the potential of remaking the experience of aging and disability…it is a powerful tool for improving quality of life."

Eden is a commitment to improving the social and physical milieu of our elders. It creates an environment that eliminates the three "plagues" of loneliness, helplessness and boredom. Eden fosters relationships and continues to help people grow. It is an environment where elders want to live, families want to visit, and staff want to work.

All staff members who have completed education on the 10 Eden principles can be identified by the "Eden" pin (below). If you have questions or would like more information, please consult any staff member wearing this pin.

Please click here to watch a video about the Eden Alternative.