Embracing the Eden Alternative

We are dedicated to remaking the aging experience by following the Eden Alternative philosophy. First and foremost, the Eden Alternative ensures our residents remain at the center of their lives. Our campuses are filled with growing plants, companion pets and visiting youth. You'll find laughter and joy here, along with a sense of family and community. Our residents are celebrated and empowered to embrace their individuality, unique interests and abilities.

“An Elder is someone who, by virtue of life experience, is here to teach us how to live.”

~The Eden Alternative definition of an Elder

Purposeful Living

Our residents are empowered to embrace their lifelong interests, discover new ones and enjoy the rhythm of life to the best of their ability.

Companionship

Our residents have numerous ways to form strong, lasting connections with others as well as our lovable campus pets.

Intergenerational

Our residents are invited to interact with and form relationships with the many schools and youth programs we participate in.

The Eden Alternative Difference

Eden Culture

Well-Being

10 Principles

Eden Culture

We are proud to be one of just two organizations in Wisconsin to be in the Eden Alternative Registry. This philosophy guides us in everything we do. And because it does, we do things a little differently. You'll feel a true sense of community, an environment filled with warmth, understanding and compassion and a focus on physical, emotional and spiritual growth at our four campuses.

Well-Being

The Eden Alternative identifies seven primary domains of well-being. Together, they serve as a simple framework for asking thoughtful questions that help identify the unmet needs of those we care for:

IDENTITY—being well-known; having personhood; individuality; having a history
GROWTH—development; enrichment; expanding; evolving
AUTONOMY—liberty; self-determination; choice; freedom
SECURITY—freedom from doubt, anxiety, or fear; safety; privacy; dignity; respect
CONNECTEDNESS—belonging; engaged; involved; connected to time, place, and nature
MEANING—significance; heart; hope; value; purpose; sacredness
JOY—happiness; pleasure; delight; contentment; enjoyment

10 Principles

The Eden Alternative is designed on 10 principles:

The three plagues of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom account for the bulk of suffering among our Elders.
An Elder-centered community commits to creating a Human Habitat where life revolves around close and continuing contact with people of all ages and abilities, as well as plants and animals. It is these relationships that provide the young and old alike with a pathway to a life worth living.
Loving companionship is the antidote to loneliness. Elders deserve easy access to human and animal companionship.
An Elder-centered community creates opportunity to give as well as receive care. This is the antidote to helplessness.
An Elder-centered community imbues daily life with variety and spontaneity by creating an environment in which unexpected and unpredictable interactions and happenings can take place. This is the antidote to boredom.
Meaningless activity corrodes the human spirit. The opportunity to do things that we find meaningful is essential to human health.
Medical treatment should be the servant of genuine human caring, never its master.
An Elder-centered community honors its Elders by de-emphasizing top-down, bureaucratic authority, seeking instead to place the maximum possible decision-making authority into the hands of the Elders or into the hands of those closest to them.
Creating an Elder-centered community is a never-ending process. Human growth must never be separated from human life.
Wise leadership is the lifeblood of any struggle against the three plagues. For it, there can be no substitute.