Eden Alternative®

Eden Alternative

Life is About Continuing to Grow

At Thornapple Manor, we are proud to practice the Eden Alternative®. The Eden Alternative is a culture change initiative dedicated to supporting facilities in the creation of communities that eliminate what the Eden Alternative calls “the plagues of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom”. These are plagues of the human spirit, not the human body, but they can be just as debilitating. Our residents need, and deserve, an opportunity for a life worth living, not just to spend time wiling away the hours.

Founded in 1991 by Dr. William Thomas, a Harvard-educated physician and Board Certified Geriatrician, the Eden Alternative now claims over 270 registered homes throughout the World. At Thornapple Manor, we continue to work toward meaningful culture change through ongoing training and a continued dedication to making life better for those entrusted to our care.

Life is About Spontaneity

In recognition of Thornapple Manor’s commitment to create a “Human Habitat” in which residents can enjoy variety and spontaneity in their daily lives, the Eden Alternative organization has recognized Thornapple Manor on the Eden Alternative Registry, a listing that includes only 270 other homes throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

The Eden Alternative is a powerful tool for improving the quality of life for residents in long-term-care settings, and for recapturing a meaningful working life for their caregivers.

Car Shows

**I'll Embed the Eden Alternative Video Here (It will be authorized for ThornappleManor.com) vs. my Demo Environment.

The core concept of the Eden Alternative is strikingly simple. We must teach ourselves to see places where our residents live, as habitats for human beings rather than facilities for the frail and elderly. It shows us how the opportunity to give meaningful care to other living things, such as plants and companion animals, as well as the variety and spontaneity that mark an enlivened community, can succeed where pills and therapies fail. It also shows us how real leaders can create a warm culture that is characterized by optimism, trust, generosity, and teamwork to make a better world for our residents.

Most importantly, the Eden Alternative teaches us that decisions belong with our residents, or as close to our residents as possible. Long-term-care residents want, need, and deserve autonomy over their daily lives. Edenizing homes give it back to them.