Aritcle 28

This article made me really think about a lot of things. The first thing I thought about is how good of an idea the Eden Alternative really is. I know the thought of putting either of my parents in nursing home someday petrifies me. I'm really not sure if I could even do it but knowing that I could be putting them in a warm, loving, comforting place; a nursing home that models the Eden alternative would be a lot more reassuring for both my parents and I. I completely agree with Thomas that "Care for the elderly is not simply about health care or medicine or technology. It’s about creating the right environment and caring relationships that sustain an older adult in his last years." Knowing that my parents would be going into an environment where they would receive care and be able to give care as well would make the decision a lot easier. I also think the Eden Alternative is great idea because it has proven to improve overall health for elder adults and that is obviously a very positive thing. If we can make the quality of life better for the individuals that are put in nursing homes even a little better, we are doing a great thing. Just like we need relationships, so don't the elderly. And Thomas states that "Relationships are the foundation of good health care." Which is something most nursing homes seem to neglect and I think that’s a huge mistake. It should be a top priority of every nursing home. It should be a necessity for the nurses and doctors to form relationships with their patients. I also think bringing animals into nursing homes is a wonderful idea. Animals can bring so much joy into the patient’s lives; they could be their companions. As they say "a dog is a mans best friend" and I'm a firm believer of that. When I really thought about it I could definitely see how hard it would be to try and transform ever nursing home to fit the Eden model. Not everyone is open to change, which to me is very disappointing because I don’t see how anyone could be against this idea. According to the article, the Institutions that have adopted the Eden Model have only had successful and positive results, so my question is why aren’t there more and more nursing homes adopting this model? I really hope that within the near future all nursing homes will decide to adopt the Eden model. If we can make the quality of life better for the elderly why wouldn't we? I think Bill and his wife are doing a great job and I hope they continue to have success with their efforts.