The Eden Alternative™ philosophy of care

A life of meaning, purpose and grace

Our vision at Wesley Mission Queensland is a compassionate, just and inclusive society with our customers at the heart of everything we do. As part of our commitment to person-centred care, we adopted the Eden Alternative culture change model™ in 2002. We have over 150 staff trained as Eden Associates. We even have residents in our aged care homes who have undertaken Eden training to become Eden Ambassadors within their community!

The Eden Alternative™ philosophy of care is underpinned by rigorous international standards, some of which can take up to three years for accreditation. The Eden Alternative™ philosophy of care focuses on eliminating loneliness, helplessness and boredom from the lives of seniors living in aged care communities or their own home, by creating opportunities, meaningful engagement and spontaneity.

Eden in action

Every day our team of dedicated nursing and clinical staff, leisure and lifestyle coordinators, allied health professionals and chefs, all work together to provide a person-centred care environment. Some examples include:

• Pets greeting you when you arrive at our aged care communities.
• Residents are encouraged, where possible, to grow and tend to their own gardens and pot plants.
• Asking residents for their opinion on decisions such as paint choices and artwork selections for common areas
• Each aged care community is a vibrant hub of activity with on-site cafes, outdoor entertaining spaces, children's playgrounds and hairdressing services.
• Giving residents a place on recruitment selection panels.