Our Organization | Eden Gardens - Dementia Care Home

The Eden Alternative^® Philosophy

The Eden Alternative® Philosophy promotes an innovative way of thinking about our residents’ lives. It offers thought-provoking ideas and creates communities that improve the quality of life for people who live in long-term care homes or are isolated in the community.

Eden Gardens supports

Eden Gardens supports those with dementia to live a full and abundant life, creating a diverse and homelike environment where plants, art, music, children and pets are a natural part of everyday life. After careful research of the best care models for those living with dementia, Eden Gardens determined that the Eden Alternative® Philosophy would best serve our residents, families, staff and volunteers.

In a culture that typically views aging as a period of decline, the Eden Alternative® philosophy asserts that no matter how old we are or what challenges we live with, life is about continuing to grow. Building on this new paradigm, affirms that care is not a one-way street, but rather a collaborative partnership.

Eden Gardens is formally accredited by Accreditation Canada. This rigorous and comprehensive, independent review of all aspects of care, administration and governance standards.

If your loved one is still living at home and you would like to learn how to incorporate the Eden Alternative® philosophy of care into your home life, visit http://www.edenalt.org/eden-at-home.

One of Eden Gardens’ distinct differences is that care and service are person-centered. We believe that it takes everyone involved with the resident’s care to promote their well-being from the families to Eden Gardens care partners and volunteers, even our pets to help support residents to manage their own lives to the best of their abilities.

Governance

Eden Gardens is owned by the Nanaimo Travellers Lodge Society and is contracted by Island Health to provide complex care for those living with dementia. The Society is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who are elected each year. Our Executive Director manages the daily operation of the home and reports to the Board.

Accreditation = Commitment to Quality

In May of 2023, Eden Gardens received our final Accreditation Canada report where we were awarded with the status of “Accreditation with Commendation”. This means that we received over 90% (91.2% to be specific) as an overall scale.

It is with deep gratitude and appreciation to ALL of the Team for your hard work as this is something to be incredibly proud of, especially as the pandemic is within the timeline we were being assessed on. This standard is not easy to reach and the evidence that was produced came from all of your diligent and on-going work from 2019 until 2023.

To learn more about what Accreditation Canada does please visit their website at: https://accreditation.ca/about/

Eden Gardens is formally accredited by Accreditation Canada. This rigorous and comprehensive, independent review of all aspects of care, administration and governance is an ongoing investment we make to continually improve our high standards.

Accreditation Canada is a not-for-profit, independent organization, teamed up with Health Standards Organization (HSO.) They provide national and international health care organizations with an external, peer review process to assess and improve the services they provide to their patients and clients based on standards of excellence.

Accreditation Canada’s programs and guidance have helped organizations promote quality health care for over 55 years.

Accreditation involves all members of the organization, from our board of directors, to frontline staff, as well as members of the community including residents and families, and our community partners. It allows us to understand how to make better use of our resources, increase efficiency, enhance quality and safety, and reduce risk.